The Relationship Advancement Clause
by crzysap
Summary: No one ever has a story involving all of the characters so I decided to write one. And this will be a good one. So much will happen, and all the good stuff starts in the first chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first TBBT fanfic I'll be writing. I'm not sure if I'll write more in the future.**

**I probably will have a few ooc moments with some of the characters, but I try.**

**I don't own anything I'm writing about except for Tanya. She's all mine :)**

**Have fun.**

* * *

The silence at the middle table in the CalTech cafeteria room had a pleasant change of pace for Leonard Hofstadter today. Sheldon Cooper was on the parallel side of the table to Leonard, eating his ham sandwich in silence, which was the reason why Leonard was having a pleasant lunch.

Leonard was about to take a bite out of his own ham sandwich-which was lacking cheese and mayonnaise due to his intolerance to dairy products-when the silence was annoying interrupted by a chuckle on Sheldon's part. "What's so funny?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon looked up from his lunch to converse with his friend and roommate. He placed the sandwich down on the blue plate resting on the tray. "My mind is a _thrilling_ place, Leonard," he said.

"I'll bet it is," Leonard said with a nod before he took a bite of his sandwich.

Sheldon clasped his hands together, leaning his elbows against the table. "Take this into thought," he said, not bothering to ask if Leonard still wanted to know what was on his mind. "There are at least three different universe in which Penny prefers myself over you romantically."

Leonard stared at him, not sure how to grasp this particular conversation. "You're right," he said. "Your mind _is_ thrilling."

Sheldon grinned, lowering his arms and returning to his food. "I told you," he said, going silent once again.

Seconds later, their friends and co-workers, Howard Wolowitz and Rajesh Koothrapali, joined them at the table, sitting on either side of each other, placing their trays of food down, almost in perfect sync.

"Did you hear what Dr. Fraiser did over the weekend?" Howard asked, leaning forward against the table, almost speaking at a whisper.

"No," Leonard said with a shake of his head. "What happened?"

"Well, Saturday, he reportedly came here to do some type of testing on a new theory of his," Howard said. "But, in reality, that testing was not a theory but on Dr. Bell who's visiting from Washington, hooking up in the radiation showers."

"Dr. Bell is a nice man," Raj added, pointing at Howard with his fork. "I think they make a cute couple."

"Oh!" Sheldon exclaimed, looking up from his food once more. He looked at Leonard. "Four."

Howard ignored Sheldon's interuption and continued on. "Good news, I'll be getting my doctorate," he said. "This time next month, you'll be referring to me as _Dr._ Howard Wolowitz, Ph. D."

"That's great, Howard," Leonard said with a smile, congratulating the engineer. "But what does that have to do with Dr. Fraiser?"

"Nothing," Howard said with a shrug. "I just thought that would be an amusing anecdote to make conversation with."

"That's a tad redundant," Sheldon said, turning his head to look at Howard.

"Pardon?" Howard asked.

"Redundant," Sheldon said. "It means 'the same as'. An amusing anecdote is a redundant sentance." He put his sandwich down once again. "An anecdote is defined as a short story with an amusing or interesting nature." Howard continued to just stare at him. "Ergo, an amusing anecdote is grammatically redundant."

"I don't care," Howard said slowly as if he were annoyed. "That's besides the point. The point, my friend, is this: you can't talk down to me anymore for not having a Ph. D."

"Oh, there are still plenty of reasons remaining as to why I can still treat you the same," Sheldon said. He looked at Leonard. "Five!"

"What is he talking about?" Raj asked.

"The number of times I want to kill him every day," Leonard said, returning to his food.

"Oh, well, in that case," Sheldon started. "The number will be increased to six."

"Why?" Leonard asked.

"Because in most movies, the dame falls in love with the victim of the story, _not_ the villian," Sheldon said, grabbing the tray as he stood up.

* * *

Sheldon and Leonard entered the apartment later that evening, Leonard carrying a bag of Thai food. Sheldon closed the door behind him as he removed the bag from around his shoulder. "Oh, I forgot to mention," he said, placing the bag on his desk chair. "Tanya Carter from back home in Texas is coming to intern at CalTech under me for a month."

"Little Tanya Carter?" Leonard asked as he entered the kitchen. "The one that calls you Shelley-Belly?"

"The same one," Sheldon said, taking his tan jacket off. He hung it on the chair, joining Leonard in the kitchen as he grabbed two sodas from the fridge. "She'll be interning until she has to graduate next month then return to work in my field if she proves herelf worthy."

"Wow," Leonard said, impressed. "Only seventeen and might have you as her boss?"

"A bit old to be getting her doctorate, I know," Sheldon said. "She was forced to wait a year before going to grad school for family reasons. But, she is very smart and more advanced than a lot of the physicists we work with."

"She's more advanced than me," Leonard said.

"Don't act surprised, Leonard," Sheldon said, opening the bottle in his hand. "It doesn't take much to be more advanced than you." He walked over to the couch. "Everyone in her school knows she's smarter than you." He turned around as he sat down on his spot of the couch.

Leonard had learned long ago to ignore certain comments from the egomaniac that is Sheldon Cooper. He sat down in the tan chair. "Well, where will she be staying?" he asked.

"Here, of course," Sheldon said, reaching forward and grabbing the tv remote. He looked at Leonard. "You'll have to sleep on the couch. I couldn't possibly make Tanya sleep here for a month."

Leonard nodded his head. "I understand that," he said. "It won't be too hard. I can do that."

There was a knock on the door before it opened and Penny walked in, uninvited, carrying her pink laptop. "Sheldon, did you change the Wi-Fi password again?" she asked.

"Come in, Penny," Sheldon said before turning his head to look at the blonde. "Good evening, Penny. The password is now I'm-not-going-to-tell-you-the-password-this-time-so-get-your-own-Wi-Fi." He looked forward then back at Penny. "No spaces."

Penny stared blankly at the tall, slender man for a few moments before looking at Leonard. "Is he serious?" she asked. "You know I can't tell. And you promised I wouldn't have to figure it out."

"No, that's the actual password," Leonard said with a nod of his head.

"Great, thanks," Penny said, nearly closing the door.

"Wait," Leonard said, standing up and walking over to the door.

Penny pushed the door open once more. "What?" she asked. "I have a pair of shoes on Ebay with my name on them and only thirty seconds left."

"It can wait," Leonard said, waving his hand in front of him.

"No, it can't," Penny said. "So, just hurry and get to the point."

"Well, Sheldon has an old friend coming to stay for a month," Leonard said. "And I don't really want to sleep on the couch. So, I was thinking, how about I stay at your place? And we can see where our relationship stands after that."

"You want to move in with me?" Penny asked.

"It's only for a month," Leonard said. "And it's not really me moving in. It's more of a, uh,... a test-run. Just like our relationship started again." He shook his head. "You know what, nevermind. I can just sleep on the couch."

"Leonard," Penny said, balancing her laptop on one arm as she placed her left hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him. "I think it's a great idea. And it could be good for our relationship to take this next step... or test the next step."

A smile slowly grew onto Leonard's face, showing how happy he was. "Cool," he said. He pointed at the door to her apartment. "You can go buy your shoes now."

Penny looked down at her computer screen. "Too late," she said. "Time ran out." She closed the laptop, looking at Leonard with a smile. "But it was worth it." She gave him a kiss before she closed the door, returning to her apartment.

Leonard walked back over to the chair, the smile still on his face. He sat down. The smile slowly vanished as he felt Sheldon staring at him. He turned his head to look at the other man. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Sheldon said, leaning back and looking at the tv. "The number increased to seven."

* * *

Sheldon and Amy stood in the crowded airport, waiting to pick up Tanya after she landed and got her bags.

"I appreciate this, Amy," Sheldon said.

"Well, you'll be staying with this girl in your apartment for a month," Amy said, sounding slightly bitter about the subject. "It was the least I could do."

"Amy," Sheldon said, turning to look at his girlfriend. "I assure you, it's nothing like that." He normally wasn't good at picking up what his friends were upset about, but since meeting Amy, he had grown better at it. "She has a boyfriend back in Houston, and has always viewed me as an older brother. Besides, I only have eyes for you."

Amy smiled, liking what she heard. "Thank you, Sheldon," she said. "That really means a lot to me."

Sheldon gave her a smile before turning in time to see Tanya approaching them. "Oh, there she is," he said.

Walking up to them was a some-what tall young girl with a brunette pixie cut, sporting a spring dress and flip flops, complete with a pair of glasses, pulling two black suitcases behind her. "Shelley-Belly!" she greeted, wrapping her arms around Sheldon in an embrace, who, surprisingly, actually returned the gesture.

"Tanya, this is my girlfriend, Amy," Sheldon said, smiling brightly as he introduced Amy and Tanya.

Tanya and Amy shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Tanya said. "Mrs. Cooper talks about you all the time. Too bad Sheldon doesn't communicate with me. I bet I could have heard some great stories about the girl he actually refers to as his girlfriend for a change."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"It doesn't matter," Sheldon said. "We should get you to your home for the next month before it gets too late."

"Oh, great!" Tanya said. "Will Amy be staying with us? I'll bet she makes some great breakfast."

"Why would she bother doing that?" Sheldon asked. "She has her own home, no need to stay with us just to cook us breakfast."

"We have the best relationship on the planet," Amy said with a smile.

"I strongly concur," Sheldon said, grabbing the handles of Tanya's suitcases, pulling them towards the door.

"He still doesn't get sarcasm?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah, this is my life," Amy said as they turned and followed Sheldon out the door.

* * *

Leonard and Penny sat in her-their-apartment after they had just finished moving Leonard over for the month. They sat in silence, both drinking a glass of red wine, staring out in the open, almost avoiding eye contact with each other.

"Well," Penny said, breaking the silence first. She looked at Leonard. "It's an official test-run, huh?"

"Yeah," Leonard said with an awkward nod of his head, leaving the room in an uncomfortable silence once again.

"What now?" Penny asked, placing the almost-empty glass on the coffee table in front of them.

"Well..." Leonard trailed off. "It's Halo night over at Sheldon's place."

"Great," Penny said. "And me and Amy and Bernadette could go watch a movie or something. Girl's night. Maybe invite Tanya to tag along."

"Yeah," Leonard said once again, nodding the same awkward nod from five seconds ago.

"Yeah," Penny said slowly, leaning forward and picking up the glass once again. She lifted it to her lips, downing the remaining wine before placing the glass back down. She heard voices outside the door. "Oh, I think they're here. Let's go meet Tanya."

"Yeah, let's do that," Leonard said, both of them standing up at the same time. Penny opend the door and the duo exited, meeting Sheldon, Amy, and the obvious Tanya in the hallway.

"Oh, perfect timing," Sheldon said when he noticed Leonard and Penny. "Tanya, this is Leonard and Penny. Leonard and Penny, this is Tanya."

"Oh, you're so cute!" Penny exclaimed, walking over to Tanya. "I'll help you unpack and maybe we can hang out later." She took one of Tanya's two bags and the three women went into the apartment.

"She _is_ cute," Leonard said, taking a step closer to Sheldon. "Is this a good idea? What if she develops a crush on you?"

"Oh, not to worry," Sheldon said. "We had this conversation on the ride here from the airport. She is very loyal to her boyfriend and views me as her-and I'm paraphrasing here-very off-putting older brother."

Leonard nodded his head. "Off-putting is pretty accurate," he said as he followed Sheldon into the apartment.

"Shelley," Tanya said, walking over to the two of them. "I'm to understand tonight is Halo night. And Penny asked if I should join her and her friends for a night at the movies. What should I do?"

"Well, you could go to the movies with the girls and risk changing from this amazing person you are to a normal teenage girl from exposure to the kinds of them," Sheldon said. "_Or_-and this is the better choice-you could stay and play Halo 3 with us." He tilted his head towards Leonard with a smile.

Tanya smiled brightly. "Great," she said. "Just one more follow up question: what is this Halo 3 you speak of?"

"You should go to the movies with Penny," Sheldon said.

* * *

The following day was Tanya's first day interning at the university, and Sheldon chose this morning to show her around, taking a break for lunch and joining the others at their usual table, Raj pulling up a chair for Tanya.

"So, how do you like CalTech so far?" Leonard asked, stabbing his fork into the pasta. Well, what the cafeteria staff claimed was pasta.

"More simple-minded scientists here than I had previously expected," Tanya said with a shrug of her shoulders. "But in comparison to the likes of Sheldon or me, I'm not that surprised."

"Well, I was meaning the university itself and not the workers, but ok," Leonard said, looking down at his food.

Tanya then proceeded to act like the other three weren't even there and looked at Sheldon. "I have a question for you," she said.

"I will be happy to answer it," Sheldon said, confident he could answer any question she had since he knew basically anything.

"Amy and I got to talking last night," Tanya said, causing the trip that is Leonard, Howard, and Raj to put all their attention to her. "This is a question involving your love life."

"Oh, this should be good," Howard said, getting too into a conversation that he wasn't even involved in.

Sheldon continued the conversation, also acting like his friends weren't sitting right there. "I have nothing to hide involving my relationship with Amy," he said. "What is your inquiry?"

"Please be 'why haven't you slept with her?'" Howard pleaded.

"Why doesn't she know about Miranda?" Tanya asked.

"That's new," Howard added as the three of them then put their attention on Sheldon, who was still waiting for a chance to give his response.

Once it was silent again, Sheldon answered her. "We were not romantically interested in each other," he said. "I didn't see it necessary."

"So she meant nothing to you?" Tanya asked. "Even after these last ten years?"

"Tanya, your sister was only a friend to me, and I her," Sheldon added, pleading his case. "I admit, her absence was alarming after all this time, but Amy is the girlfriend I have ever and perhaps will ever have."

"Question," Leonard said, lifting a finger.

"Shh!" Howard interrupted. "I want to know how this turns out."

"How can you say that?" Tanya asked. "She meant more to you than 'just a friend'. I know that from watching you two together."

"I'm finished discussing this topic," Sheldon said. "If you would change it, I would be much appreciative."

"Fine," Tanya said.

"But it was just getting good!" Howard complained.

Sheldon looked at Tanya, lowering his fork. "Did you tell Amy?" he asked, ignoring his own request.

"No," Tanya answered. "I have too much respect for you as a person and physisct to do that to you. No, you'll be telling her after work. She'll be expecting you at five o'clock."

"Tonight?" Sheldon asked. "I was hoping this conversation would wait another five, six... twenty years."

"Well, if you're done here," Leonard chimed in. "Care to explain to the three confused scientists?"

Sheldon looked at him. "No," he said. "There are _two_ confused scientists and one confused engineer who thinks getting a doctorate degree will change things." He put his attention else where as he always did when he made a revlation. "Eight."

"Focus, Sheldon," Leonard said, snapping Sheldon back to his attention. "Who's Miranda?"

"Alright, I'll tell you," Sheldon said. "But you must promise me to never tell Penny what I'm about to tell you."

"I swear," Leonard said.

Sheldon doubted he meant it, but decided to continue anyways. "We met when I was in grad school," he started.

* * *

Penny sat on Amy's couch as the other paced back and forth in front of the door, counting-audibly-the minutes until Sheldon is supposed to walk through that door.

"Amy, calm down," Penny said. "You're starting to make _me_ nervouse."

"Sorry," Amy said as she stopped her pacing. She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Penny. "This isn't easy."

"What isn't?" Penny asked. "A steady relationship that doesn't need sex to stay healthy?"

"You know what I mean," Amy said, bitter to Penny about a certain subject. "The possibilty of Sheldon having been in a previous relationship and not bothering to tell me about it."

"Maybe he forgot," Penny said with a shrug.

"Please," Amy said, knowing Penny should know better. "He has an eidetic memory. He never forgets anything."

"Damn that eidetic memory of his," Penny said. She was already feeling buzzed and she had barely had anything to drink. She stood up, walking into the kitchen to refill her glass of wine. "Drink with me, it'll calm your nerves."

"Sorry, but I must decline," Amy said. "I wish to be completely sober when I talk with Sheldon."

"Sweetie, trust me," Penny said, pouring two glasses of wine. "This upcoming conversation is gonna require at least two glasses of wine and maybe some schnapps."

"But I don't have any schnapps," Amy said.

"Then, you should consider getting some," Penny added, holding the glass out to Amy.

Amy took the glass, but didn't move to drink any of it. "Do you think he had a girlfriend?" she asked.

Penny grabbed the bottle of wine. "This girl isn't a scientist or a... whatever you are," she said. "She grew up practically the same way Missy did. There is no way in Hell Sheldon dated this woman." She took a swig from the bottle, lowering it as she swallowed. "On purpose."

"That's a good point," Amy said. "Perhaps he either didn't date her or was unaware he was in a relationship with her. Either way, I can't be mad at him."

"Yeah, _that's_ what I was going for," Penny said.

There was a three-time knock on the door, followed by the familiar voice of Sheldon Cooper saying, "Amy." It was repeated twice more before it stopped.

"You should get that," Penny said.

Amy put the glass down on the counter then walked over to the door, opening it to let Sheldon in. "Hello, Sheldon," she said.

"Hello, Amy," Sheldon said as he walked inside. "I think it's time we talk." He stopped mid-stride and mid-sentence when he noticed Penny in the kitchen. "Hello, Penny," he said to her.

Penny took another swig of the wine before leaving the bottle on the counter. She walked over to Sheldon. "Hello, Moon-Pie," she said with a wide grin. "So, you're gonna have 'the talk'. Would you like privacy or company?"

Sheldon turned his head to the side, clearly considering which option would be better. "Privacy," Amy answered for him.

"Alright," Penny said, though she would prefer to stay and watch. But she would have to hear about it from Amy later. She stopped next to Amy on her way out. "I want details," she whispered before leaving.

Sheldon knew Penny would never learn he could still hear her whether she was whispering or not. And he knew Amy would end up telling Penny everything. He preferred she hear it from Amy rather than Leonard anyways. He removed the bag, placing it on the floor as he sat down on the couch.

"Can I get you something refreshing to drink?" Amy asked. "Perhaps a soda or iced tea? Schnapps?"

Sheldon turned his head and looked up at her. "No, thank you," he said. "I am quite refreshed." He patted the couch next to him. "Come, sit down."

This wasn't like him. Amy wasn't entirely sure of what she would do. Upon his request, she joined him on the couch, sitting down next to him. "How should we start this?" she asked.

"I met her in my last year at grad school," Sheldon said, ignoring her question and wasting no time in getting to the point. "I was fourteen and on the verge of graduating at the top of my class. No surprise there. She was fifteen, visiting from the local high school. Though not as smart as me, I enjoyed her time. Much like I do with Penny. She had to grow to my liking, but it didn't take so long."

"So, you never dated her?" Amy asked.

"Well, we did go to dinner alone a few times," Sheldon said. "But she never called it a date and I would never had considered it a date. So, therefore, it was not a date. Therefore, we never dated."

"Then why havne't you ever mentioned her before?" Amy asked.

"Well, when I left Texas to come here, she went to college in New York," Sheldon said. "We went two different diretions and just weren't friends anymore after that."

"Something isn't adding up, though," Amy said, feeling like something was missing in what Sheldon was saying. "Sheldon, please don't leave anything out. Don't keep things from me."

"Very well," Sheldon said before growing silent. He removed his jacket, folding it in have and laying it neatly on the back of the couch. "Roughly ten years ago, she was hit by a car," he said. "Putting her into a coma."

Amy hadn't expecting anything like that. It took her a few minutes to recover. "That must have been hard for you," she said.

"Why do people think that?" Sheldon asked. "It hardly was. We had known each other merely two years full years before we parted ways. I had always been closer with Tanya than I had Miranda."

"Is she still..." Amy trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"They pulled the plug last year," Sheldon answered. "The odds of her waking up were slim. They had held on for too long."

"Sheldon, I'm sorry," Amy said, standing up off the couch.

Sheldon stood up shortly after Amy did. "What for?" he asked.

"I was angry at you for nothing," Amy said. "You had valid reason to keep this from me. I shouldn't have asked."

"But she meant little to nothing to me," Sheldon said. "I should have made mention to you before for that reason. I tell you everything. I never dated her. She was never my girlfriend, nor did she want to be. I didn't love her. I love you."

The room grew very silent at the exact moment those words exited his lips. Sheldon stared at Amy. Amy stared at Sheldon. Neither of them knew what to do. Neither of them knew what to say.

"What?" Amy asked.

Sheldon leaned over, picking up his jacket and bag, holding them both in one arm, not bothering to put them on. "I have to go," he said. "Good day, Amy." Without another word, and not giving her a chance to say more, he turned around and left the apartment.

* * *

**Like I said, first chapter and it's already getting good**

**And it'll only get better.**

**Leave reviews, suggestions, and constructive criticism. It's always appreciated.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that reviewed, it really meant a lot to me**

**I'm glad you all liked it :)**

**This chapter wasn't as long and I don't understand why, oh, well**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Leonard woke up in the middle of the night, walking into the kitchen-running into a small stool at first, due to the change of atmosphere-getting himself some juice. He had been staying over here for a full week now, and so far things with Penny were going pretty good. They hadn't even had a single fight since he moved in.

And they also hadn't heard from Sheldon all week. Apart from taking him to work, being around him for a short while at work, and taking him home from work, they hadn't heard a single word from him.

Apparently no Sheldon was healthy for their relationship.

"What are you doing?" Penny asked quietly as she walked into the room, wearing her purple robe. She sat on the stool, leaning against the counter.

"Can't sleep," Leonard answered as he poured the grape juice into a mug.

"How come?" Penny asked, understandably worried for her boyfriend. "What's on your mind?"

"Sheldon," Leonard said, leaning against the counter himself.

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, he has been kinda quiet here lately," she said. "He didn't invite us over for pizza night. Tonight was Thai food night and we ate Italian in the bedroom. It's just not like him. I'm worried."

"Do you think..." Leonard started before trailing off, looking for the words to say. "Do you think his conversation with Amy ended badly?"

"I don't know," Penny said. "I hadn't taken it into thought. Amy hadn't mentioned anything of it, which means she probably doesn't want to. Is it possible they broke up?"

"I don't know," Leonard said with a shrug. "I'm not saying it_ didn't _happen, but I'm also not saying it_ did_. But one does wonder these things."

"One?" Penny asked.

"Oh, god, now I'm talking like him," Leonard said.

"In the morning we'll pop by," Penny suggested. "Check up on him. Then maybe we can finally sleep."

"I have to go to work early tomorrow," Leonard said. "Gone by five. And Sheldon has the day off. You can talk to him and give me an update."

"Sounds like a plan," Penny said. "Are you gonna come back to bed now?"

"Yeah," Leonard said, putting the mug down on the counter.

Penny leaned forward, giving him a kiss. "He'll be fine," she said. "Because no matter what, he'll still have us." She stood up and headed to the bedroom.

"No," Leonard said, following after her. "No matter what, _we'll_ always have _him._"

* * *

The next morning, Penny had let herself into Sheldon's apartment with the spare key Leonard had given her years ago. From the looks of it, Sheldon wasn't up yet. The lights were still off. This was odd. Normally Sheldon woke thirty minutes earlier.

The light turned on, revealing Sheldon, who wasn't wearing his robe or his slippers, which was also odd. "Good morning, Penny," he said, though he didn't sound very cheerful at all. "I see you let yourself in." He walked into the kitchen. "Did Leonard wake you?"

"Yeah," Penny said, walking to join him. "I was told you have today off. So I was thinking maybe you and me could spend the day together. It could be fun."

Sheldon opened the fridge, looking at her. "I don't understand how that is your definition of fun," he said. He grabbed the milk and walked to the counter.

"I'm sorry," Penny said. "Do you have other plans?"

Sheldon lifted his head, which means he didn't. He looked at her. "Penny," he said with his know-it-all tone. "This is my day off, I have no plans whatsoever"

"Not even with Amy?" Penny asked, fearing the worse.

"I haven't spoken to Amy all week," Sheldon said, grabbing the shredded wheat from off the top of the fridge. "I said something to her I wasn't quite ready for and haven't been able to speak to her since. And I've tried."

He was opening up to her. And on his own terms. Something was seriously going on here. "What did you say?" she asked.

Sheldon poured the cereal into the blue bowl he had gotten down. "I mentioned how I was never in a relationship with Miranda," he said. "And that I was never interested to be in one. Nor did I have feelings for her."

"Oh, my god!" Penny exclaimed, slapping her hand against the counter, as if she had just made a realization.

Sheldon's surprise by her sudden out-burst showed in his expression. "What?" he asked.

"You told her you love her!" Penny said. "Sheldon, this is great!"

"Great?" Sheldon questioned. "There are countless amounts of universes and, I assure you, not in one of them is this situation considered great."

"Probably in all of them but this one," Penny said, following Sheldon into the living room. "Sheldon, this is a step forward in your relationship." She sat down in the chair at the same time Sheldon sat down in his spot. "Did you mean it?"

Sheldon was clearly uncomfortable talking about this, but she didn't care. "I changed my mind," he said, putting the bowl down on the coffee table. "I'm going to work today."

"You can't change your mind," Penny said. "Taking today off wasn't even your decision."

"Drat," Sheldon said as he leaned forward and picked up the bowl. He stuck the spoon into the cereal to get a bite.

"I know what the problem is," Penny said.

Sheldon looked at her hopeful. "A tumor?" he asked. "A parasite? An alien symbiote?"

"No," Penny said with a shake of her head. She should've been expecting things like this from the whackadoodle. "You're scared."

"Of what?" Sheldon asked. "A tumor? A parasite? An alien symbiote?" He nodded his head quickly. "Yes, to all three."

"No, Sheldon," Penny said, her annoyance starting to show at this point. "You're scared of the step you're taking in this relationship with Amy. What you said made it official. Like official, official. She's yours. Forever."

"Oh, no," Sheldon said, putting the bowl down on the coffee table once again.

Penny shook her head. "Don't say that," she said. "It's ok to be scared. I mean, I was scared when Leonard proposed this test run and moved in. But look at us. Our relationship is better than ever."

"What are you saying?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm saying you should talk to Amy," Penny said. "Give her a few roses. Maybe some chocolates. Tell her what you told me. Tell her how you're feeling. You'll feel better after it all."

"But I don't want to do those things," Sheldon said with a shake of his head. "You said it yourself, I'm scared." It wasn't a rare thing for Sheldon Cooper to admit he was scared, but something about it this time was different. He leaned back in the seat. "I'm talking illogically anyways. Love. Never thought I would be fooled."

"You're not being fooled, Sheldon," Penny said. "Just go. Amy has waited too long for this moment. You'll just have to man up and do what you have to do."

Sheldon looked at the bowl in front of him, his breathing growing a little bit unsteady. "I'm suddenly not hungry anymore," he said, standing up.

Penny looked up at him. "Sheldon," she said. He stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. "Good luck."

Sheldon shook his head. "Penny, you know I don't believe in luck," he said as he made his way to his bedroom.

Yep, still the same Sheldon.

* * *

Sheldon was standing outside of Amy's apartment door, holding a single rose in one hand. He took a breath and lifted his right hand, knocking three times before speaking. "Amy." Three more knocks. "Amy." Thrice more. "Amy." He lowered his arm and waited.

It was only a few seconds before Amy opened the door, looking happy to see him, but still holding the same expression as when he had last seen her. "Hi, Sheldon," she said.

"Hello, Amy," Sheldon said before holding the rose up to her.

"What's this?" Amy asked as she took the flower from his hand.

"That is a rose," Sheldon answered. "I'm to understand it stands for... romance. I had forgotten my money at home. I picked that on the way over here. It's special." He gave her a small smile. "Just like you."

Amy smiled wide when he had said that. "Thank you, Sheldon," she said as Sheldon walked in. She closed the door and placed the rose on the counter. "How'd you get here if you forgot your money?

"I walked," Sheldon said, sitting down on the couch. "It took me nearly two hours, but it was worth it. I waited outside your door for twenty minutes to catch my breath. Walking that far is not an easy task, Amy."

Amy joined Sheldon on the couch, sitting down next to him. "I haven't heard from you in a while," she said. "And I was growing worried."

"I appreciate the concern, but it was unnecessary," Sheldon said. "I have figured everything out." He placed his bag on the couch between them, taking his iPad out and holding it out to Amy.

"Oh, no, you're breaking up with me again," Amy said, starting to have a small panic attack.

"Don't be absurd," Sheldon said. "I adjusted our relationship agreement to coincide with this 'step' we're taking. I added the Relationship Advancement Clause." He held the tablet out to her once again.

Amy took it from his hands, but still didn't understand completly. "Relationship Advancement Clause?" she asked.

"Yes," Sheldon said with a nod. "I'm to understand we made a step forward in our relationship when I said... what I said."

"We did?" Amy asked, not getting how that was an advancement. "But I didn't even say it back and you abruptly left shortly thereafter." She looked down at the electronic device in her hands. "And now you can't even say it." She looked at Sheldon once more. "This isn't a step forward, this is just the same step at a different angle."

"But I thought you'd be thrilled," Sheldon said.

"Thrilled?" Amy asked, putting the iPad down in front of her. "Sheldon, I love you. I do. I have no problem saying so. It comes easy now that it's out there. The step will be you saying it to me again. On purpose this time."

"But it only needs your initals," Sheldon said, pointing at the iPad.

"No," Amy said, clearly angry at this point. "No Advancement Clause until you tell me you love me."

Sheldon was silent for a moment. He took a breath. "Kissing is a part of the extention," he said.

Amy quickly picked the iPad back up. "Where do I initial?"

* * *

Leonard, Raj, and Howard all sat in silence as they sat at their usual table in the cafeteria. This was the table they always sat at because of Sheldon, but even with his absence they sat there. Having Sheldon gone was good and bad. Good because they didn't have to worry about all his talking. Bad because they all knew something was up with him and, as his friends, were worried.

"He has an intern," Raj said, breaking the sielnce. "Should he even be taking the day off?"

"Which is why I'm here," Sheldon said. They hadn't even noticed him walk up. He placed the tray he was holding on the table, sitting down. He reached next to him, taking a single fry from Howard's plate, causing the three of them to just stare at him in shock. "I had a wonderful talk with Amy," he continued, taking a bite of the fry.

"Did you sleep with her?" Howard asked, the only question that would explain Sheldon eating off his plate.

"No," Sheldon said, looking at him. "Why does everything you talk about have to involve coitus?"

"Because he gets it whenever he wants," Raj said.

"You're eating my fry," Howard said, deciding to get straight to the point.

"Yes," Sheldon said with a nod. He pointed at Leonard. "And he's eating his fries."

"Off my plate," Howard said, hoping Sheldon would get it.

Sheldon held the half-eaten fry towards Howard. "Do you want it back?" he asked.

"No!" Howard answered.

"You're in a strange mood today, Sheldon," Leonard said.

Howard took this chance to test something out, quickly snatching a fry from Sheldon's plate. "How do you like it?" he asked.

Sheldon stared at his plate, mouth agape for a few seconds before gasping. "You touched my food!" he exclaimed.

Howard couldn't believe this. "Oh, my god," he said, throwing the fry back onto the plate. He grabbed his tray and stood up. "I'll never fully understand you, Sheldon." He left the cafeteria, stopping to empty the tray into the garbage.

Sheldon stared at the tray of food, his hands up close to his body, practically afraid of what was in front of him. "Now it's all ruined," he said. "I have to get more food."

"Sheldon, what's the deal?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon pushed the tray aside, lifting his head to look at Leonard. "I suppose you want an explanation," he said. "I had a talk with Penny. And you know those _never _turn out well. This was an exception. She told me how I was feeling then I told Amy. I assume you told Koothrappali and Wolowitz."

"You're in love with Amy," Raj said with a nod.

"Correct," Sheldon said. "I added a new clause to our relationship agreement. The Relationship Advancement Clause. It covers the new status of our relationship as well as stating that two days a week will be date night. And a kiss is required when greeting, saying our salutations, or on special ocasions."

"Kissing?" Leonard asked.

Almost having bat ears, Howard quickly returned to the cafeteria, sitting down next to Sheldon once again, leaning closer to the physist. "Kissing?" he asked as well. "Like, with tongue?"

Sheldon looked at him with a look of disgust. "Oh, gross!" he said. "Why would anyone do that?"

"I don't know," Howard said, shrugging his shoulders. "But it's kinda nice. And I really like it."

"But I'm still confused," Raj said.

"Oh, I'm not surprised," Sheldon said. "This is nothing new. Normally your confusion is about your own culture, but, considering neither India nor Hinduism has been a part of our conversation, I'm required to question you as to why you're confused."

"You took a fry off Howards plate," Raj said. "And then ate it."

"I still don't see you're-" Sheldon started before cutting himself off. He slowly turned his head to look at Howard. "What has Amy done to me?" he asked. He grabbed his napkin and proceeded to wipe at his tongue, being the only way to clean himself from the germs.

Tanya walked into the cafeteria, with a notebook in her hand. She found them and walked to the table. "Sheldon," she said.

Sheldon stopped what he was doing, lowering the napkin to his lap. "This is the workplace, Miss Carter," he said. "Here, you call me Dr. Cooper. We have been over this twice now."

"Right, and I apologize, Dr. Cooper," Tanya said. "I've been doing some calculations on your most recent paper." She held the notebook out to Sheldon. "You were off by one decimel point. I thought I would let you know before you published the paper."

Sheldon opened the notebook then began looking through the equations. "I did this paper last week on new information on the String Theory," he said. "The day after I said..." He looked up. "What I said. I was obviously not in my right mind." He frantically shook his head. "I'm never wrong on my equations."

"Actually," Leonard said. "It happens more then you let on."

Sheldon looked at him. "She's in my head, Leonard," he said. "And I can't get her out. I can't stop thinking about her!"

"Is this a bad time?" Tanya asked.

Sheldon turned his head to look at her. "Go check any work I've done in the last week," he said. "And if you find anymore mistakes, burn down my office."

"But that's called 'arson'," Tanya said.

"Correct," Sheldon said with a single nod. "And what is your point?"

Tanya raised an eyebrow. "It's kinda illegal," she said.

"I hadn't considered that," Sheldon said. He handed her the notebook back. "Well, I guess I should think of something. You run along."

Tanya nodded her head in understandment and left the cafeteria.

"What are you gonna do?" Leonard asked.

"Well, there are two things I could do," Sheldon said. "Break up with Amy and focus on physics... or quit physics and focus on Amy."

"Wow," Howard said under his breath. "Physics just won't be the same without you." He looked up at Sheldon with hopeful eyes.

The silence only made them all fear the worst.

"No, it won't," Sheldon said. "I would no longer contribute to the world of science. I won't help guide the human race along the evolutionary track."

"What are you gonna do?" Leonard asked once again.

"I think the answer is obvious," Sheldon said.

"I don't think it is," Leonard said. "I think you should wait a few days, maybe weeks, think it over."

"Leonard, I never have to think for so long," Sheldon said. "I always make the right decision." He stood up.

Leonard looked up at him. "Where are you going?" he asked, ready to phone Penny to warn Amy.

"Dr. Gablehauser's office," Sheldon said as if Leonard should have already known. "I'm going to quit physics."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun!**

**Another cliff hanger**

**I really need to stop doing that**

**But it's so fun!**

**As always, leave reviews **

**But no critics!**

**JK, you can say what you want, it's the Internet, I can't stop you**

**Until next time**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for all the reviews :)**

**Yeah, what he did was adorable**

**And now you get to see what happens next**

**And as a final note, I've left a few Easter eggs in this chapter. If you can find them all you will receive a shout out in a future chapter**

**Prizes!**

* * *

"So, he just picked the rose?" Penny asked as she poured herself and the other two some wine. "Like, from nature?"

"He said it was special," Amy said with a wide smile, as if she were a teenager with a crush. "Like me."

"Yeah, and he touched nature," Penny added, bringing up the germaphobe in Sheldon. "For you. That's huge."

Bernadette was sitting on the couch, reading the extended agreement. "Tell me about it," she said. "It says you're at the 'love-bird' stage." She looked up at Amy. "That's so adorable."

"Yeah," Amy said, sitting down next to Bernadette. "He'll agree to the fact that he loves me. He'll write out the fact that he loves me. He even _knows_ that he loves me. But, he just can't say it again."

"Give him time, Amy," Penny said, picking up the three glasses of wine, carrying it over to her friends. "Up until now, he's viewed love as something illogical. And probably still does in a way."

Amy nodded her head, taking one of the glasses. "I understand," she said. "I used to be the same way. Maybe there's a chance he'll change just like I did."

"Don't count on it," Penny said, sitting in her red chair. "He's like a robot. You can mess with the wires a bit, but he'll still be the same underneath it all."

"How are things going with you and Leonard?" Bernadette asked to change the subject.

"This past week has been practically perfect, actually," Penny said, crossing her legs. "Not one argument. I don't know, we kinda feel like making it permanent."

"You mean him moving everything over?" Amy asked.

"We're talking about buying a house," Penny said.

"Wow, and I thought me and Sheldon took a big step," Amy commented.

"That's the thing," Penny continued. "We don't know how it could affect Sheldon. Maybe if this were five years ago, he could survive all on his own. But now, we don't think so much."

"Well, I could always move in," Amy said, but she knew it could never happen.

Penny looked forward, putting her thinking face on. "Maybe..." she said with a nod.

"You have an idea," Amy said with a smile. "What's going on in that beautiful brain of yours?!"

"You are _not _gonna dissect my brain," Penny warned.

"Oh, don't worry," Amy said. "I lost that interest years ago."

"You mean, you... nevermind," Penny started, ending that with a shake of her head. "Maybe, when me and Leonard tell him, we can somehow trick him into letting you move in."

"Well, he is a genius with an IQ of 187," Amy said. "But, damn, that boy is easily manipulated. It just might work."

Penny looked at her phone resting on the coffee table when it vibrated. She picked it up, replacing the glass on the table. "It's Leonard," she said before she answered it. "Hey, honey," she said with a smile. Her smile quickly vanished at her response. "What? Why?" She paused once more, leaving the two hanging in their seats. "Yeah, I'll make sure she gets there." She hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Bernadette asked.

"Sheldon is gonna quit his job," Penny said. "Says so he can put more attention on his relationship with Amy."

"What's wrong with that?" Amy asked.

"You can't let him quit his job!" Penny said.

Amy shrugged. "Why not?" she asked. "Leonard let you quit yours."

"Yeah, to get a better job as an actress," Penny said.

"And how has that worked out for you so far?" Amy asked.

"All the more reason to not let Sheldon quit," Bernadette chimed in to stop before the argument got out of hand.

"Oh, I walked into that one," Amy said as she stood up. "Is he still at the university?" she asked.

"Yeah, Leonard convinced him to wait until you talked to him," Penny said.

Amy nodded her head. "I suppose it is the right thing to do," she said. "I'll see if I can change his mind."

* * *

"I'll _never_ understand you people," Sheldon was saying as he and Leonard entered his office. "I make a decison to help my relationship, and yet I still make the wrong decision. Does anything satisfy you?"

"Wanting to be around Amy more is actually a good thing," Leonard said. "You're just going about it all wrong."

Sheldon turned around to look at him, pointing a skinny finger at the board to his left. "Do you see the problem?" he asked.

Leonard looked at the board. A few different equations, told apart by the different colored markers used. It was actually impressive, even for Sheldon. "It looks fine to me," he said, not seeing it.

"You don't see it?!" Sheldon exclaimed. He pointed at the lower corner of the board. "A does_ not _equal 83! A equals 92 times 50!"

Leonard stared at the board some more. "Actually, no, I think that's right," he said, pointing at it himself.

"Leonard, Leonard, Leonard," Sheldon said, shaking his head. "There is no way it's right." He turned, looking at the board. "Oh, look at that it_ is_ right," he said, noticing what Leonard saw.

"You're over-thinking things, that's all," Leonard said.

"But I don't understand," Sheldon said, still staring at the board in disbelief. "I corrected it five times today. Was I wrong then or am I wrong now?"

There was a knock on the open door and they looked at it, seeing Amy standing there. "Hey," she said. "Someone call the Cavalry?"

"We don't need your help, Amy," Sheldon said.

Amy walked into the office. "Sheldon, I appreciate the gesture," she said. "But I can't let you quit your job. You love your job."

Sheldon picked up the eraser. "I would love it more if I were actually doing anything of value," he said as he started to erase the board.

Leonard could feel a pain in his chest. "Don't do that!" he exclaimed. "You were on a breakthrough!"

"Too bad," Sheldon said, wiping the board clean. He turned to Amy. "Because of you, I can't even do physics correctly anymore. It was either science or you."

"Really?" Amy asked, feeling how genuine he was right now. "You chose me over your passion?"

Sheldon looked down at the eraser in his hand, almost as if to avoid looking Amy in the eye. He slowly lifted his head once more. "No, I didn't," he said. "You are my passion. I chose you over science." He put the eraser down. "I'm not good at anymore, so what's the point?"

"Never in a million years will you not be good at science," Amy said.

"You're right," Sheldon said with a nod, walking to the other side of his desk. "I'm horrible at it."

"I'll leave you two alone," Leonard said, stepping through the door, closing it behind him.

"I can't let you quit," Amy said. _I promised Penny, _she added to herself.

"You're right," Sheldon said, sitting down. "I should get myself fired. Why go on my own terms and do it the honorable way? But, you're the girlfriend. You know best."

"Sheldon, I resent that," Amy said.

"Should have took that into consideration," Sheldon said as he opened the top drawer of his desk.

"If you quit," Amy started, not yet having thought of a threat. She really needs to think before she spoke. "If you quit, I'll leave you."

Sheldon stopped what he was doing to look up at her. "You're bluffing," he said, though it sounded more like a statement and not as a hope.

"You can't prove that," Amy said.

"Actually, yes, I can," Sheldon said. He started to take his things out of the drawer. "Amy, we have known each other for nearly four years now." He looked at her, leaning against the desk. "If you were to ever leave me, you would have done so already."

Amy knew he had a point there. "What if I just about had it with your quirks?" she asked.

"You're referring to my quirks which you find 'sexy'," Sheldon added with air quotations.

Amy knew she couldn't argue with that, so she just gave up. She walked to the desk, sitting on the smaller chair. "Sheldon, this isn't just _your _life anymore," she said. "Just because we aren't a married couple, doesn't mean it doesn't affect me, too."

That had caught Sheldon's attention. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Without your job, you'll have no income," Amy said. "And, with no income, you'll run out of money. Sure, it would take a while, but even to you it'll happen. And, over time, you'll be evicted. And I can't be with someone who can't even keep a place to live."

Sheldon shook his head. "Impossible scenario," he said. "I would inform you of my predicament and you would let me stay with you until I get a decent job and a new place to live."

Damn, he had an answer for everything.

"Fine," Amy said, trying a different route. "Quit, see if I care."

Sheldon caught on to her still. "Reverse psychology," he said. "Clever, but still won't work." He started to put his things back into the drawer. "I'm not quitting and that's my final decision."

It had worked and Sheldon didn't even notice. "Ah, too bad," Amy said, standing up. She walked around the desk to stand next to him. "We still up for pizza night?" she asked.

"Seven-thirty sharp," Sheldon said. "Don't be late."

Amy smiled. She leaned down and gave him a light peck on the lips. She could get used to this. And should learn to see how far she can take it before he stops her. "See you then," she said then left the office.

Sheldon shut the drawer, leaning back in his chair. "Quit my job," he said to himself. "What was she thinking?" He then realized what had just taken place. He nodded his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well played, Amy Farrah Fowler."

* * *

Sheldon and Leonard had just arrived home from work, Sheldon to check the mail as Leonard went ahead up the stairs. He had just pulled out the mail when Penny walked in.

She smiled at him. "Hey, Sheldon," she said. "Heard Amy saved your job."

The two of them started up the stairs. "Amy out-smarted me once again," Sheldon said, sorting the mail between him and Leonard. "I believe she could possibly win a Nobel Prize before I do."

"Really?" Penny asked in surprise as they stopped on the next floor.

Sheldon lowered the mail, turning his head to look at her. They stayed like that for a few seconds. "Bazinga," he said with a smile.

Penny smiled back in return. "Good one," she said with a nod before they continued up the stairs. "Amy told me everything."

She was referring to their new relationship status, Sheldon presumed. "I can't say I'm not surprised," he said. "Amy does tell you everything. So, let's save ourselves from what we already know as a whole, and change the subject to what only one of us knows."

"Oh, ok," Penny said. They turned the corner once more, heading up the final flight of stairs. "Leonard and me are gonna start looking for houses."

Sheldon was so in shock he couldn't even correct her grammar. _Leonard and I_, he corrected in his head still. "You're leaving me?!" he asked, stopping once they reached their floor.

Leonard had just unlocked the door when heard heard Sheldon. He looked at Penny. "You told him?!" he asked. "Just like that?! This is Alicia all over again!"

"What?" Penny asked. "He needs to know things!"

"He doesn't need to know that!" Leonard said.

Penny looked at Sheldon, who was still in shock. "Sweetie, I'm sorry," she said.

Sheldon stepped away from her, stopping against the door. "No, you're not!" he said. "If you were, you wouldn't be leaving me!"

"We aren't leaving you, Sheldon," Penny said. "We can still come by every day."

"Maybe not_ every_ day," Leonard said.

Penny placed a reassuring hand on Sheldon's shoulder. "I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that," she said.

Sheldon wasn't satisfied. "You're still leaving me," he said.

"You're right," Leonard said, opening the door to apartment 4B. "And we're never coming back." He stepped inside, almost slamming the door closed.

Sheldon gasped, placing a hand on his chest. "You are leaving me!" he said. "I think I'm having a heart attack!"

"No, we're not," Penny said with a smile only to cover for Leonard. He was a genius, but he could make some bad word choices with Sheldon. "He was only joking."

"Well, it wasn't very funny!" Sheldon said. "Nor was it a very clever joke!"

"We can talk about this later," Penny said. "We have an appointment to with the realtor to look at the first house."

"But it's Thursday," Sheldon said. "Thursday is pizza night." He shook his head. "Leonard has never missed pizza night."

"We'll be back in time for pizza night," Penny said, walking to the door of apartment 4B. "I promise." She opened the door then entered her apartment.

Sheldon turned around, unlocking the door to his own apartment. "Houses," he muttered as he opened the door. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, walking over to his desk. "How could they buy a house?" He put his bag on the chair, followed by his jacket, and walked to the kitchen.

"Hey, Sheldon," he heard Tanya say.

Sheldon turned to look at her. "Hello, Tanya," he said. He saw a man was sitting next to her, in his spot. "Who's your friend?" he asked.

"This is Brad," Tanya said. "He came today for my eighteenth birthday and gonna stay the rest of the month. We're going to a hotel."

"Oh, the boyfriend," Sheldon said with a nod. He looked at Brad. "How do you do?"

"I do awesome," Brad said with a smile, nodding his head.

It took all of Sheldon's will power to resist correcting his grammar out of respect for Tanya. "Can I offer you a beverage?" he asked.

"You got any beer?" Brad asked.

Sheldon looked at Tanya.

"He's twenty-one," Tanya said. "It's ok."

"Alright, in that case, Sheldon said, already opening the fridge. "I believe we do."

"Tanya tells me you're some kind of super genius," Brad stated.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Sheldon muttered as he reached inside. He couldn't put it past him, the likes of him couldn't comprehend the likes of himself. He took out two sodas and a single beer before closing the fridge. He walked over to the duo, handing them their respective drinks, keeping one for himself. "You're in my spot."

Brad just stared at him. "You got a spot on the couch?" he asked. "I actually know a guy in Austin that could get that out for fifteen bucks even."

Sheldon shook his head. "I always sit there," he explained. "That's my spot."

Brad looked at Tanya. "Dang, he's just like you," he said. Despite his complaint, he scooted over, closer to Tanya. "Sorry, bro. Didn't know. Respect."

Sheldon sat down on the couch. "Tanya, why do you have a boy over without consulting with me first?" he asked.

"I did," Tanya said. "I left you a message. I thought you got it by now."

Sheldon pulled his phone out of his pocket to look at it. "I've been distracted," he said.

"Puberty?" Brad asked.

Sheldon looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He had been around stupid people before, but this? He looked at Tanya. "Where did you find him?" he asked.

Tanya giggled, standing up. "We're going out tonight," she said. "Is that ok with you? Considering it's pizza night?"

"You've never been present for pizza night before," Sheldon said, wondering why she needed permission. "You can go wherever you want."

"Alright then," Tanya said. "Come on, Brad."

Brad stood up, looking down at Sheldon. "What kind of surgery do you do, Dr. Cooper?" he asked.

At least he knew Sheldon was a doctor. "I'm a physicist," he said.

"Ah, right," Brad said, nodding his head. Seemed like that was all he was doing. "You're a brain doctor."

"No, you're confusing me with a neurosurgeon," Sheldon said.

"Oh!" Brad said, realizing the truth. "You're a down there doctor. I always get the wo confused."

Sheldon couldn't believe this man. "No," he said. "I study the universe. I'm a scientist."

"Foot doctor?" Brad asked.

Sheldon looked at Tanya. "Wow," he said in disbelief.

"Come on, Brad," Tanya said once again, pulling on Brad's arm. "See you later, Sheldon," she added as she closed the door.

"Foot doctor," Sheldon muttered. "She found herself the male equivalent of Penny."

* * *

Sheldon and Amy waited in the living room for the others to arrive. It was Howards turn to bring the pizza, Raj riding along with them. And, of course, Leonard and Penny were still out looking at that house.

"So Leonard's moving out, huh?" Amy asked as she walked into the kitchen. She opened the cabinet, pulling down a few paper plates.

"Unfortunately," Sheldon answered. "I'll have to start looking for a new roommate immediately, of course."

"Is that so?" Amy asked, putting the plates on the counter. "Any candidates?"

"A few," Sheldon said, joining her in the kitchen. He sat on the stool, leaning against the counter. "There's Koothrappali. You know how he hates being alone. He has a decent job with good pay. And he's a great cook."

"He has Cinnamon," Amy said.

"Oh, that's right," Sheldon said. "No pets. And he was such a good candidate. I don't care much for Bollywood films anyhow and that's all he watches at home. It'll be the same here." He shrugged. "Stuart, from the comic book store."

"He's clinically depressed," Amy said. "And you like him less than you like Howard."

"That's all true," Sheldon said. "_But_ he could give me a great discount on comic books."

"You won that argument," Amy said, playing along as she always did.

"Well, there's-" Sheldon started. "No, I don't like him, either. What about- no, I _really_ don't like him."

"What about me?" Amy suggested.

Sheldon lifted his head to look at her, that question getting his attention. They stared at each other like that for nearly thirty seconds or so before Sheldon let out his well-known breathy laugh, turning around and returning to the couch.

"Love you, too," Amy said under her breath. She returned to the cabinet, instead opening a drawer to get napkins.

"Barry Kripke, maybe?" Sheldon asked as he sat down, just thinking out loud at this point. "No, I imagine he lives like a slob in his own home."

"I'm available," Amy added.

Sheldon shook his head. "It's not as funny anymore," he said.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and Howard-carrying two boxes of pizza-walked in, followed by Bernadette and Raj. "I come bearing gifts," he said, placing the pizza on the coffee table. "I brought wine, too. Well, technically Raj brought wine. He bought it." He looked around. "Where's Leonard and Penny?"

"Looking at a house," Sheldon said. "Those betraying... betrayers."

Amy brought the plates and napkins, placing them down next to the pizza boxes. "He's going over potential roommates," she said.

"Oh, has he considered you?" Bernadette asked.

Sheldon grinned once more, looking at the small blonde. "It's funny again when you say it," he said, grabbing the plate that Amy had put a slice of pizza on for him.

Howard reached into the bag Bernadette had carried in, pulling out a bottle of wine. "Who wants some wine?" he asked.

"We do," Amy said, answering for both her and Sheldon.

Sheldon looked at her, shaking his head. "No, we don't," he said.

"Come on, Sheldon, live a little," Amy said.

Sheldon sighed. "Fine," he said. He looked at Howard. "Howard, we would_ love_ to have some wine." He gestured to the kitchen. "The glasses are in the third cabinet, top shelf. And if you can't find them, they're all labeled on the bottom."

"I think I got it, Sheldon," Howard said. "Bernie? You want some?"

"No, thank you," Bernadette said rather quietly.

"You sure?" Howard asked. "You love wine."

"I said I don't want any, Howie!" Bernadette said, louder and angrier this time.

"Alright," Howard said defensively as he walked to the kitchen.

Raj sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the couch as he always did. "Did you consider me?" he asked.

"Of course I did," Sheldon said. "You were my number one choice. But, no pets allowed."

"You consider me a pet?" Raj asked. "Not cool, dude."

"He was referring to Cinnamon," Amy said, sitting down between Bernadette and Sheldon.

Howard returned with two glasses of wine, handing them to Amy and Sheldon. "You don't have very many friends to chose from," he said.

Sheldon shrugged. "And only a select few I would be comfortable living with," he said. He looked at Amy, keeping eye contact with her as he took a sip of the wine. "Ah, I can feel it burning the walls of my esophagus. Yummy!" He put the glass down on the coffee table.

"I'm pregnant," Bernadette said.

All eyes went on her as the room grew quiet. Howard then stared at her in disbelief, unable to even commute what just happend.

As if on cue, the door opened and Leonard and PEnny walked in. "Sorry we're late," Penny said as the two of them sat down in their respective spots. "So... what's the topic of conversation?"

Since no one else decided to say anything, Raj spoke up. "Well, Sheldon still doesn't like alcohol, Bernadette is pregnant, and Amy had a sex dream about Sheldon."

Sheldon shot a look at Amy.

Amy smiled sheepishly. "He's lying," he said.

* * *

**Or was he?**

**Dun, dun, dun**

**Next time, is Howard ready for kids?**

**Is Leonard really going to move out?**

**Can Sheldon let Amy completely into his life?**

**Come back and see**

**And, as always, leave helpful reviews and suggestions :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. I haven't been feeling so good, but here it is**

**Before we begin, I would like to say thanks for the reviews. Being told everyone was in character really made my day**

**And then I realized that's probably because I watch the show too much, lol**

**But I try :)**

**I won't keep you waiting any longer**

* * *

The night ended rather quickly for Howard and Bernadette-and Raj as well, who had already fallen asleep in the back of the vehicle-who excused themselves to talk this over in private rather than in front of all their friends. The drive had unfortunatley been quiet most of the way.

"When were you gonna tell me?" Howard asked to break the silence.

"Eventually," Bernadette said, playing with the bottom of her cardigan just to occupy herself. She looked over at Howard. "But I wasn't sure how to actually say it. Which is why I just blurted it out like that."

"But we were safe!" Howard argued. He looked at her momentarily before looking back at the road. "Weren't we? I mean, you were on the pill."

Bernadette was silent. "Well, a few days ago, I thought I had forgotten to take it," she said. "Surprise, I was right!" She gave him a small, albeit short, smile. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," Howard said with a shake of his head. "You didn't know. I can't be mad at you."

"You're gonna be a daddy, Howie," Bernadette said silently.

That was the part that scared him. He didn't even know how to respond. They had talked about this before. He knew he would want kids one day, that was inevitable. But, today, he knew, was not that day. He didn't feel ready. "Yeah," he responded just as quietly.

"If you don't want it, we can get it fixed," Bernadette said. "It's not hard. They have clinics for it and everything."

Howard knew what she was doing. He smiled. He looked at her once again before turning back to the road. "No," he said, taking her hand in his. "I'm happy."

"Really?" Bernadette asked.

"Yeah," Hwoard said with a nod. Maybe if he told himself so, it would become so. "I am."

* * *

After a few slices of pizza, everyone decided to go their separate ways as the night just wasn't the same without everyone present. Penny stayed behind to help Sheldon clean up. And by 'help', she would attempt to finish off the wine as Sheldon did the cleaning by himself.

"Who's gonna move in?" Penny asked.

Sheldon never enjoyed how she had to make every moment between them one that consisted of conversing, but he learned to bear through it. He shrugged, throwing the used plates into the garbage can sitting by the fridge. "I can't make a decision," he said. "I'm stuck between Stuart from the comic book store and-because she won't stop mentioning how it in fact is not a joke-Amy."

"What's keeping you from choosing Stuart?" Penny asked. Was Sheldon somehow-in his own weird way-ready to move in with Amy?

"Because Amy explained how if she moved in, it would be better than living with Leonard," Sheldon said, reaching underneath the sink in the cabinet to retrieve a spray cleaner. "She even has the roommate agreement memorized and she doesn't need it."

"So, roommate and girlfriend," Penny said with a nod, lifting the glass off the counter so Sheldon could clean the wood, spraying the cleaner on the surface. "So, have you gone over the pros and cons of them both?"

"Several times," Sheldon said, wiping the counter clean.

Penny should have known he wouldn't say more than that. "And?" she asked.

Sheldon stopped what he was doing and looked at Penny as if he had no choice but to answer her. "Stuart has two pros to his name," he said. "And exactly seventy-three cons."

That was actually pretty good, considering how much he complained whenever Stuart was around. "What about Amy?" she asked.

Sheldon was clearly hesitant about responding to this specific question. "I can only think of pros," he said.

"Oh," Penny said quietly. Maybe he wouldn't need any manipulation, but could actually make the choice himself on his own terms. "Then what's wrong?" she asked.

"Everything is changing so fast," Sheldon said. "Amy and I professing our... interests in one another, Leonard moving out, the two of you buying a house." He shook his head. "This will just be too much."

"You love her," Penny said in hopes that he would actually say it out loud with her ibn the room.

Sheldon nodded his head, looking down at his hands which were still clutching the rag. "I love her," he said silently.

Penny hadn't even expected that much to be honest. That was the first time she had ever heard him say those words. They sounded sincere. She never even heard such sweetness when he was talking about Star Trek. "Then what's stopping you?" she asked.

"I'm not ready," Sheldon said, still refusing to look up at her. "Why can't we move at _my _pace?"

"Sheldon, sweetie," Penny started. "You've been moving at your pace for the last three years. Don't you think it's her turn now?"

Sheldon remained quiet as he lifted his head to look at her once again. "Can you leave me alone to think?" he asked.

"Of course I can," Penny said. She got up to leave, but stopped to down the rest of the wine. She put the glass down on the counter before exitting the apartment.

* * *

Leonard stopped at the door of apartment 4A the next morning to drive Sheldon to work. He chekced the time, taking Sheldon's schedule into thought, then knocked on the door. Of course, a sane person would expect Sheldon to answer the door. It wasn't Sheldon, but Stuart from the comic book store.

"Hi, Stuart," Leonard said, unsure of how to process it. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I moved in last night," Stuart said with a nod of his head. He stepped aside. "Come in, Sheldon is almost ready."

"Almost?" Leonard asked as he walked in. All of this was confusing to him. "He should have been ready an hour ago. His schedule says so."

Sheldon then walked into the room, but something was way different. Rather than his signature khakis and a superhero t-shirt over a flannel, he was sporting a blue button up and jeans. "Good morning, Leonard," he said with a smile, oddly cheerful this very morning.

"Are you drunk?" Leonard asked.

"Yeah, I told him it was a little early, but he insisted," Stuart said. "We were drunk shopping at Wal-Mart at two in the morning."

Sheldon placed his hands on the bright blue shirt, smiling like a giddy school girl. "You like it?" he asked.

"Sheldon, it's nine in the morning," Leonard said. "And you don't even drink!"

"Blame Penny," Sheldon said, stepping down in front of Leonard. "Blame Amy. Blame Howard for bringing the wine." He paused. "And blame Rajesh for buying the wine."

"I'm confused," Leonard said, following Sheldon into the kitchen.

Sheldon apparently thought he was referring to Stuart. "Oh, he's only here temporarily," he said, gesturing to his new roommate. "Tanya and Brad were staying at a hotel and I was lonesome."

Sheldon never got lonesome, he was definitely drunk.

"Temporary for how long?" Leonard asked, deciding to continue with that conversation.

"For about three weeks," Sheldon said. He leaned against the fridge, holding the handle tightly, a big smile on his face. "And then Amy's gonna move in," he said, a slight Texan draw coming out due to the amount of alcohol in his system.

"Does Amy know this?" Leonard asked.

"No, it's gonna be a surprise!" Sheldon said, the smile still on his face. He brought a finger up to his mouth. "Shh!"

Leonard shook his head. "We need to get you sober before work," he said.

"I'm takin' the day off!" Sheldon said, pushing himself off the appliance, losing his balance then leaning once again. "I don't have to quit to focus on my relationship."

Leonard wasn't even sure what was happening at this point, or if he was even really awake. "You're dressed up for Amy?" he asked.

Sheldon nodded his head. "We're meeting for lunch," he said.

"Hey, Leonard," Stuart said, finding the opportunity to butt into the conversation. "Mind if I get a rid to my store?"

Leonard looked at him. "Yeah, sure," he said.

"Ooh, shotgun!" Sheldon exclaimed. He looked at Leonard. "I need you to take me somewhere, too."

"If not to work, where?" Leonard asked. Sheldon pointed at his laptop which was resting on the counter top. He walked to it, turning it to see better. "You're gonna buy a car off Craigslist?"

"Not just any car, Leonard," Sheldon said, joining him by the counter, leaning on his smaller former roommate. He pointed at the screen. "It's a Mini Cooper." He looked at Leonard, laughing as he spoke. "Get it? Cooper? It's a mini me!"

"Sheldon, you don't even know how to drive," Leonard said, afraid that if he pushed Sheldon off him, the taller would just fall to the floor, unable to get back up.

"I can learn!" Sheldon said. He started to pull on Leonard's arm. "Please?!"

"Alright, but only if you promise to sober up before we leave," Leonard said, attempting to make a deal with Sheldon. What would he think of next?

"But sober Sheldon won't want it," Sheldon whined. "He won't wear these clothes, he won't want to live with Amy, and frankly, he's such a drag."

"I don't know," Stuart said. "He has a point. Drunk Sheldon is kinda fun."

"Drunk Sheldon isn't going to drive a Mini Cooper," Leonard said. "That's called against the law."

"You let Penny drive while intoxicated," Sheldon said.

"But she's never drunk," Leonard said. "One glass is not- I'll take her with me and she'll bring the car back. Deal?"

Sheldon let go of his arm. "Fine," eh said, sounding much like a five year old. "But if she crashes it on the way over here, that bitch is goin' down."

Leonard shook his head. He officially never wanted Sheldon to change. IF he had to walk into the apartment to this every day, he would never get used to it. "Alright, now go lie down," he said.

"But I don't wanna," Sheldon said.

Leonard pointed towards Sheldon's room . "Go lie down," he said.

"But if I lie down, I'll go to sleep," Sheldon said, still protesting. "And I don't wanna sleep."

Sheldon pouted, crossing his arms. "Fine," he said, giving in as he often did. He turned around, heading to his room. He stopped in the hallway, turning around and sticking his tongue out to Leonard before continuing on his way.

"I could've used that trick last night," Stuart said.

* * *

Penny didn't bother knocking on the door and just entered the apartment, knowing since Sheldon was home it was unlocked. She looked around, seeing that Sheldon was no where in sight. "Sheldon?" she called out as she closed the door.

Slowly, Sheldon walked in, his clothes-and they weren't his normal clothes, either-were ruffled, his hair a mess, and his eyes were blood shot, the sheer signs of a hangover.

"Have you been drinking?" Penny asked. Leonard failed to mention that.

Sheldon nodded his head before putting a hand to his forehead due to the pain. "Regretfully," he said as he walked into the kitchen. "Why are you here?"

Penny lifted the car keys. "To deliver your Mini," she said.

Sheldon looked at her with a confused expression. "My mini what?" he asked.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't remember," Penny said sympathetically. "You bought a Mini Cooper through Craigslist."

"But I don't drive!" Sheldon said before it hit him. "Oh, it wasn't a dream." He sat down on the stool next to the island. "So Stuart is living here?"

"For now," Penny said, dropping the keys into the bowl next to the door. She walked over to him. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"You can buy the car from me," Sheldon said, leaning against the counter.

"I'm sorry I can't do that," Penny said. "Looks like you'll have actually to learn to drive."

"Once you and Leonard buy a house, I'll be banning alcohol from my apartment," Sheldon said.

"You don't have to do that," Penny said. The thought of actually spending some time with these people without alcohol could drive her mad. "Just don't drink it."

Sheldon looked up at her. "Did I ever talk to Amy?" he asked.

"No, you said you would surprise her," Penny said. She appreciated how much Leonard clued her in about, but would have really appreciated had he mentioned Sheldon had been drinking. "But, deep down, we all know it won't be happening."

"Who else would possibly move in with me?' Sheldon asked, almost sounding desperate. "Leonard barely ever tolerated anything I did. And Amy loves me too much to be intolerant. You may not believe it, Penny, but I'm not easy to live with."

Took him that long to figure it out? "You don't say?" Penny asked.

"Sarcasm?" Sheldon asked.

Penny smiled at him. "You're getting better at it!" she congratulated. "Are you really going to take the day off?"

"I have no choice," Sheldon said. "I already made plans with Amy."

"Alright, you go take a shower," Penny said. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

"For now," Sheldon said as he stood up, actually sounding a little sad about it.

Penny shook her head. "You're not going to guilt us out of this, Sheldon," she said as she headed to the door.

"Penny ," Sheldon said.

Penny stopped and looked at him. "Yes, Sheldon?" she asked.

"Thank you," Sheldon said. He sounded sincere for a change. That never happened unless she got him a nerdy toy or something.

"What for?" Penny asked. "Bringing the car?"

Sheldon shook his head. "No," he said. "For all your advice with Amy. I really appreciate it."

Penny couldn't help but smile. Moments like this were rare, but special. "You're welcome, Sheldon," she said.

"Now, go, I need to get ready," Sheldon said, back to his old self, even while hungover.

Penny nodded her head. "No problem, Sheldon," she said as she opened the door, leaving.

* * *

"He's really neglecting the sole purpose as to why Tanya is here," Raj said as he sat down at the table along with his friends in the cafeteria. "She was supposed to intern under him, but instead he sends her for errands or is just never around."

"He's going through a hard time right now," Leonard said. "I think we should cut him some slack during all of this."

"Yeah, because none of us has ever had relationship problems," Howard chimed in, though he didn't sound very happy.

"'His relationship is fine," Leonard said. "This is about me moving out. Are you and Bernadette having problems?"

"No," Howard said, picking at his food. "Yes. Maybe. I don't know." He dropped the fork, looking at Leonard. "I mean, I told Bernie I was ready- hell, I even told myself I was ready for a kid, but I don't know."

"What are you afraid of?" Raj asked. "That you'll turn into your father and abandon them?"

"No!" Howard said defensibly, but he wasn't convincing. "I told myself a long time ago I wouldn't turn into my dad."

"Then it's your sex life," Raj said. "I heard being pregnant can kill your drive."

"I'd rather not talk about my sex life with you," Howard said.

"You have changed since you got married," Raj said.

"Have you told Bernadette how you feel?" Leonard asked.

"How can I tell her I'm doubtful after I already told her I'm not?" Howard asked. "Do you not understand how relationships work?"

"No, actually, I don't," Leonard said. "I've been lucky with Penny."

"Countless times," Raj said. "You may argue a lot now, but imagine if she never let little things slide. You never would have gotten a second try."

"Thank you, Raj," Leonard said sarcastically as he stabbed the fork into the pasta on his plate. "So, what? Are you gonna trick her into an abortion?"

"Are you insane?" Howard asked. "And lose the chance at being able to gloat about how I actually made another person?"

"He has a point there," Raj said.

"So you're ok with a baby," Leonard said. "But you don't want to be a dad?"

"Exactly!" Howard said. "And I thought you wouldn't understand."

"No, I think it's you that doesn't understand how parenting works," Leonard said.

"If Sheldon were here, he could explain it to all of us," Raj said.

"No, he'd repeat everything Howard is saying only in physicist form," Leonard said.

Howard grinned, leaning on the table. "But we'd get it," he said.

Leonard sighed. "You're right," he said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Raj asked.

"Calling Sheldon," Leonard answered.

* * *

"You see, he's happy that he's actually becoming a father," Sheldon was saying to Leonard on the phone, grateful Amy didn't mind too much. "But the same fact terrifies him. Much like... another man we all know and his predicament." He almost mentioned his same problem with Amy right in front of Amy.

"Sheldon," Amy said, trying to rush the phone call.

Sheldon lifted a finger, though he wasn't meaning to be rude. "I'm having lunch with Amy," he said. "And you are disrupting our meal." He paused to listen to Leonard. "Alright. Good bye." He hung up the phone, putting it on the table next to him. "I apologize," he told Amy.

"No, it's alright," Amy said. "Howard's fears with parenthood are completely understandable."

"Isn't it?" Sheldon said. "Leonard doesn't seem to think so."

"I'd rather not talk about them," Amy said.

"What would you rather speak of then?" Sheldon asked as he picked up his fork.

"Us," Amy said.

Sheldon looked at her. "Again?" he asked. "That's all we ever talk about anymore."

"Well, until we get this resolved-"

"Resolved?" Sheldon interrupted. "I wasn't aware there was an issue that needed to be resolved."

"Sheldon, I want to move in with you," Amy said, being blunt. "And I have an opportunity, but you don't seem to want to let it happen."

"But what will people think?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't care what they'll think," Amy said. "They'll think we would actually be having sex. And that would hurt. But I still want to do it."

"You mean... coitus will be optional?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course, Sheldon," Amy said. "that's not why I want to move in. I respect your wishes and I'm able to wait for the time when you're ready."

Sheldon then thought of when Penny mentioned about them moving at his pace and not hers. And how it was Amy's turn to get what she wanted out of this relationship. It would be hard, but Sheldon had to take a step down.

"I can alter the roommate agreement by the time Leonard moves out," Sheldon said, taking a bite of his food.

Amy was a bit surprised-no,shocked-by his words. "What are you saying?" she asked.

Sheldon swallowed the food, putting the fork down. He reached across the table, putting his hand on top of hers, eliciting a gasp to escape her lips at his willingness. "Amy Farrah Fowler," he said. "Will you move in with me?"

Amy clearly wasn't expecting such a question to come from Sheldon any time soon. She turned her hand over and took a hold of his, holding it tightly, but he didn't try to pull away or complain. "I would love to, Dr. Cooper," she said with a smile.

Sheldon actually smiled at her in return, showing how he was pleased with his decision. "I cannot wait to make alterations to the agreement," he said. He pulled his hand free to continue eating.

"Romantic," Amy muttered.

* * *

**Sheldon will always be Sheldon even when Sheldon is not being Sheldon**

**I love drunk Sheldon which is the main reason why I put him in, lol**

**This is one of my favorite chapters really**

**Also I got an amazing idea for a future chapter that you all will enjoy, I know I will**

**As always, leave reviews and suggestions and see you next time**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the long wait, my Internet had been slow and I've been too lazy to post.**

**But it's here now! Yay!**

**So far this is my favorite chapter. And you'll soon find out why ;)**

* * *

Howard and Bernadette were the duo forced to take Tanya and Brad to the airport as everyone else were to help Leonard and Penny unpack in their brand new house. Of course, Bernadette didn't mind, but Howard was jealous once he got into a conversation with Brad about Sheldon.

"So he's_ not_ a brain surgeon?" Brad was saying, trying to understand the genius' occupation. "But at the same time he's not a foot doctor? Then what kind of doctor is he? Heart doctor?"

"He's not that kind of doctor," Howard said, turned around in the seat to speak to him easier. "He has a Ph. d, not a M. d."

"No need to throw random numbers around, dude," Brad said.

"Those were letters, Brad," Tanya said as she gazed out the window, hoping for this conversation to end.

Howard decided to do just that, putting his full attention on the young graduate. "Hey, you ok?" he asked.

Tanya nodded her head, but still wouldn't look at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, though she didn't sound 'fine'.

Howard, of course, didn't believe her. "Really?" he asked. "There's _nothing_ bothering you? _At all_?"

Tnay looked at him. "Alright," she said, giving in. "Sheldon is bothering me."

"He doesn't even have to be present to do that now?" Bernadette commented.

"I know for sure Miranda and he had something special," Tanya continued. "The same thing he has with Amy now."

"It took him nearly five years to get where he is with Amy now," Howard said. "Two years to even realize he wanted her in his life. And it's just been recently where he's open to kissing her on the lips. I doubt he felt anything more than friendship with your sister."

"Maybe you're right," Tanya said with a shrug. "Maybe I just wanted it too much." She looked out the window once more. "Just the thought of having him as an older brother sounded nice."

"Then treat him like one!" Howard said, causing Tanya to look back at him. "You'll be back in a few weeks, spending countless hours a week with him."

"He's really hiring me?" Tanya asked.

"He never told you?" Howard asked in return.

"I figured I didn't do a good enough job," Tanya said. "He never allowed me to express my opinion on his work. I didn't think I could prove myself to him."

"Apparently you did," Howard said. "And clearly you passed, _Dr._ Carter."

Tanya smiled. "How long until I reply with Dr. Wolowitz?" she asked.

"Not soon enough," Howard said, looking over at Bernadette, sharing a smile with his wife.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy approached Leonard and Penny's new house, Sheldon carrying a pink box which held a chocolate cake inside, for, as Amy put it, a 'housewarming present'. Sheldon didn't understand the concept, but didn't argue.

"Why do we have to help unpack?" Sheldon asked. "No one helped me when I moved to Pasadena."

"That's because you had no friends," Amy said as she rung the doorbell.

"Leonard and Penny," Sheldon said towards the door. HE looked at Amy, gesturing to the doorbell.

Amy was surprised, but he couldn't figure out why. "Really?" she asked. He gestured again. She sighed, ringing the doorbell a second time.

"Leonard and Penny," Sheldon said once more. Amy rung a third and final time. "Leonard and Penny."

The door opened, revealing Penny, who appeared to have been waiting for the final ring. "Even with a doorbell?" she asked.

Sheldon ignored her, lifting the box in his hands. "We brought a cake," he said.

"Leonard can't have dairy," Penny said.

Sheldon nodded his head. "I lived with him for eight years," he said. "I am aware of this fact..." He cocked his head to the side as he oft did when he was confused.

Penny took a deep breath to keep from getting angry at him. "Then why did you bring a cake?" she asked.

"Because they were out of pie," Sheldon said as if it were obvious. "Why all these unnecessary questions?"

"Come in," Penny said, stepping aside. She pointed at the table after they walked int. "You can just put it there," she said as she closed the door.

Sheldon put the cake down. "Fully furnished," he said as he looked around. "I'm impressed." He looked at Leonard. "Where's the living area?"

Leonard put the bowls he was holding down on the counter. "This way," he said, walking through a door.

Everyone followed after him. "We'll put the tv there," Penny said, pointing at the wall in front of them. She looked at Sheldon. "Feel free to find your spot, sweetie," she added, walking over to a box.

"Glad to," Sheldon said, handing his jacket to Amy, who placed it neatly on a chair. He walked to the red chair on the far side of the room, sitting down on it.

"So, are you moved in yet?" Penny asked Amy, taking a couple of frames out of the box.

"We're waiting a few days," Amy said. "Once this months rent has been paid and the new month starts."

Sheldon made a small groan as he moved against the chair, getting a feel of it. "It feels nice," he said. He stopped, sitting up straight. He sat like that for a moment. "Draft," he said as he stood up.

"What's your process anyway?" Penny asked, turning to face Sheldon.

"I don't have a process," Sheldon said, sitting down on the couch. "I don't have OCD." He leaned back, also getting a feel. He looked to his left, seeing a small table. "Maybe a lamp there," he said. He looked behind him, seeing a large window to the side. "Open that window in the summer." He looked to where the tv would be. "I wouldn't strain my neck... I think I found it. This could work."

"Told you," Leonard called out from the kitchen.

Sheldon looked at Penny. "What?" he asked in shock.

"Oh, Leonard said that would probably be your spot," Penny said as if it were nothing.

Sheldon's face fell. "Now it won't be the same," he said. He looked forward once more, shifting one last time. "Too bad you have to sell the house now."

Penny was the one confused now. "Even if we put a lamp there?" she asked, putting the frames up on the mantel.

Sheldon stood up. "It is a nice spot," he said, staring down at the brown furniture. "Amy?"

"I'd say deal with the fact that Leonard knew for now," Amy said. "And you can always make them sell their next house."

Sheldon nodded his head. "That's a fair point," he said. He turned around, sitting down once again.

"Forgot to pack the manual he came with," Penny said, walking back to the box.

Sheldon looked around. "The acoustics are a little off," he said, only slightly disappointed. "Nothing I can't live with." He looked at Penny. "What kind of stereo do you have?"

Penny hated being asked these questions. "I don't know, Sheldon," she said. "It's black."

"Oh, I forgot who I was talking to," Sheldon said as he stood up. "What would you know?"

Amy looked at Penny. "He kinda has a point," she said with a shrug, getting a nod of agreement from Penny.

There was a knock on the door.

"Raj is here," Leonard called out.

"Is he unaware there's a doorbell?" Sheldon asked.

Penny shook her head at the taller man as she left the room to answer the door.

"Have some manners, Sheldon," Amy said, almost getting tired of having to remind Sheldon not to be rude.

"Well, I'm not wrong," Sheldon said, walking to the box Penny was going through.

"Doesn't mean you have to say something every time you're right," Amy said.

Sheldon looked at her, lifting his head. "What not?" he asked.

Amy stared at him for a moment. Hadn't they had this conversation before? "Because it's rude," she said.

"But when they're wrong, how will they know it if I don't say anything?" Sheldon asked.

"You let them stay wrong," Amy said.

Sheldon looked forward, thinking for a moment. "Fascinating," he said before he continued to look through the box.

Penny walked in with two glasses of white wine. "Raj brought wine!" she said, clearly glad to be drinking right now.

"I'm surrounded by alcoholics," Sheldon said, setting a few frames up on the mantel, straightening the ones Penny had already put up.

Penny handed one of the glasses to Amy. "At least no one here is alcohol intolerant," she said, referring to the cake. Sheldon shot her a look, which only caused her to grin. She enjoyed irritating him sometimes.

Raj walked in with a stack of books. "Leonard asked where to put these," he said.

"What are they?" Penny asked.

"They're called 'books', Penny," Sheldon said. "You would know that if you picked one up now and again."

Penny looked at him. "Thank you, Sheldon," she said sarcastically.

But, as always, Sheldon didn't catch the sarcasm. He shrugged a shoulder. "It's why I'm here," he said, returning to the box.

Penny rolled her eyes, looking back at Raj. "What kind of _books_ are they?" she asked.

Raj looked down at the books to see. "Physics," he said, looking back up at Penny.

"Oh, put those somewhere out in the open," Penny said. "So the whole house can look smart to the public."

Sheldon looked at her. "In the privacy of your own home?" he asked. Sometimes he couldn't understand Penny's logic. "We're not in public, Penny."

"Hey, Sheldon," Amy interrupted. "I want some cake."

"Oh," Sheldon said. He put the frames down. "Ok." He walked past them, going into the kitchen.

"Impressive," Penny said with a nod.

Amy grinned wide. "I have him wrapped around my finger," she said.

Raj placed the books on the table under the window, glancing out. He walked over to Penny and Amy. "Nice view," he said.

"There was a dog taking a dump right out it earlier," Leonard said as he walked in with a small box. "This one is labeled 'stuff' and I don't know what to do with it."

Penny walked over to him, taking a look inside. "Oh, that's my bathroom stuff," she said.

"Then why doesn't it say 'bathroom'?" Leonard asked.

Penny stared at him for a moment. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't think about it, I guess. Not everyone can label things as good as Sheldon can."

"As _well_ as Sheldon," Sheldon corrected as he returned with a piece of cake. He handed it to Amy.

"Stop correcting people, Sheldon," Amy whispered.

Sheldon turned around to look at Penny. "I apologize," he said. "And I thank you for noticing my labeling skills. Though, I'm not surprised, anyone can see it."

"That's the best you'll get," Leonard said, heading to the stairs.

"Thank you, Sheldon," Penny said.

"You're welcome, Penny," Sheldon said. "And...?"

Penny was confused once again. "And what?" she asked.

"I said-" Sheldon started, but stopped short when Amy nudged him. He glared at her before looking at Penny once again. "Nevermind," he said, returning to the box.

Amy lifted a finger. "Wrapped around my finger," she whispered to Penny.

* * *

Sheldon was placing two plates down on the coffee table for his and Amy's very first date night in his apartment, and shortly after, their apartment.

"What movie do you wanna watch?" Amy asked.

Sheldon sat down, picking up the small stack of DVDs that Amy had brought over. "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn," he read. HE looked at Amy. "Excellent choice." He looked back at the DVDs, placing that one down. "You've Got Mail?" He lowered the DVDs, looking at Amy. "Really?"

Amy walked over to the couch. "I thought it'd be romantic," she said as she sat down.

Sheldon shook his head, putting the DVD down. "The Hills Have Eyes," he said. HE looked at Amy. "You know I don't like horror films."

"I thought we could maybe," Amy said, moving closer to him. "Comfort one another."

Sheldon put the DVD down. After a slight pause, he looked at Amy. "The Phantom Menace?" he asked.

"It's hte only one I have," Amy said.

Sheldon tossed the DVD behind him. "That would be a no," he said. He turned to look at her again. "Make sure I don't forget to pick that up."

"You never forget anything," Amy said.

"You're right," Sheldon said. "I won't stop thinking about it." He stood up. "Why did I do that?"

"So I guess we're watching Star Trek?" Amy asked.

Sheldon walked around the couch. "No," he said, picking up the DVD.

"No?" Amy asked. "_You're_ passing up your favorite Star Trek film?"

"Again, no," Sheldon said, returning to his seat on the couch, putting the DVD with the others. "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is my favorite Star Trek film. Surpasses all the rest. For many reasons. One-"

"What will we watch then?" Amy interrupted, not wanting a Star Trek lecture.

"Your horror film," Sheldon said. "You seemed excited about it. And, as I have been slowly learning, because we're a couple, I care about your feelings and opinions as well. We'll watch it."

"You wanna watch a scary movie with me?" Amy asked, getting excited just at the thought of it. "Even if you have to... hold me?"

"If that happens, you'll be the one doing the holding," Sheldon said, not being afraid to admit he was scared. "Shall we go get our pizza?"

Amy quickly nodded her head. "Yeah," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

"You may want to drink some water," Sheldon said as he stood up.

"Or take a cold shower," Amy said quietly as she followed him out.

* * *

Penny and Leonard watched as Roj was unpacking the final kitchen box, overstaying his welcome. "When is he going home?" Penny whispered. "Sheldon and Amy left two hours ago. Why is he still here?"

"Well, Cinnamon is spending the night at the vet," Leonard whispered back. "Swallowed a quarter. He doesn't want to be alone. So... he stays here."

"It's nearly ten," Penny said, still just as quiet. "Can we send him away to bother someone else?"

Raj turned around and looked at them. "I'm having an epiphany," he said. "You should repaint the kitchen. The same blue as the living room, only a lighter shade." He pointed at a spot on his v-neck sweater vest. "Like this!"

Penny walked closer, looking at the vest. "Leonard, it's so pretty!" she said, genuinely excited about it. She looked at Leonard. "Can we?"

"Repaint the kitchen?" Leonard asked. "Right now?"

"I can buy the pain," Raj said.

Penny looked at him. "And that would take about twenty minutes," she said, looking back at Leonard.

Having Raj gone for some time sounded nice, but painting at this time of night didn't. "Ok," Leonard said with a nod. "Sounds fine to me."

Raj nodded his head as well. "Do you have this covered?" he asked, gesturing to the box next to him.

"Yeah, we got it," Leonard said. "You go ahead."

Raj smiled wide. "Ok," he said. He grabbed his jacket and walked past them and out of the house.

Penny followed Leonard into the living room. "Just imagine," she said. "This is _our_ house. We can eat what we want. Sit where we want." She sat on the couch in the spot Sheldon picked. "And Sheldon has no control over us."

"Yeah, when he's not here," Leonard said, sitting down next to her.

"We have twenty minutes all to ourselves," Penny said, leaning against Leonard. "What do you want to do?"

Leonard smiled. "Watch Babylon Five," he said, grabbing the remote.

"What?" Penny asked.

Leonard looked at her. "Sheldon hates Babylon Five," he said. "And I don't. So I'm gonna watch it."

"Even with me sitting right here?" Penny asked. "The first alone time in our new house?"

Leonard looked at the tv then back at Penny. "I never get to watch it," he said. "I can have you whenever I want."

Penny leaned away, taken aback. "Whenever you want?" she echoed. She stood up. "Not tonight, buster." She walked past him, back to the kitchen.

Leonard looked at the tv. "I should really watch what I say," he said.

* * *

Amy watched as Sheldon was putting the DVD into hte player, looking sexy as he did so, once they were finished with their pizza, with some left over for the morning.

"Should we make some popcorn?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't think we'll need it," Amy said. "Lights?"

Sheldon looked at her. "A scary movie in the dark?" he asked, picking up the remote.

"You chose it for me," Amy said. "And I want the lights off."

Sheldon sighed. "Alright," he said, walking to the switch. He turned the light off then made his way back to the couch, sitting next to Amy. "I'm terrified already," he said, hitting the play button.

They sat like that for the first few minutes, Amy glancing at Sheldon every so often. He didn't appear to be afraid yet. That was disappointing.

She wasn't even paying attention to the movie anymore. She was just watching Sheldon, hoping for something to happen. It wasn't long before he gasped, grabbing onto the arm of the couch.

That was more like it. Amy looked forward at the tv as she reached out, slowly placing a hand on his knee to calm him down. She could hear his breathing slow. It was working.

Sheldon then screamed, tensing up his whole body, Amy feeling it against her hand. He grasped the material harder. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, but Amy could live with that.

She then thought up an experiment. It was time to test and see how far she could take their physical relationship without him getting mad. She gasped-albeit fake-and grabbed Sheldon's' shoulders, moving even closer to his body.

Sheldon looked at her, suddenly appearing not to be scared anymore, her gaze following his. The expression he held was unreadable and she was afraid she may have gone too far.

"Sheldon, I-" she started, but was cut off when he placed a hand against her neck, moving his face closer to hers, soon closing the gap between them with a kiss It felt just like the first time he kissed her. It didn't feel forced. His lips even tasted the same as the time on the train: brownies.

He then pulled away, looking back at the tv as if nothing had even happened.

Amy leaned back also, watching the film. How could she ignore the fact he had just kissed her like that?

She couldn't take it. She turned to him, grabbing onto his shirt, pulling him closer to her, forcing her lips onto his, taking control, but he didn't resist. He didn't squirm, he didn't try to make it stop. He just let it happen, kissing her in return. He placed a hand on her waist, deepening the kiss.

Amy decided to take things a little further, but didn't want to take it too far. She laid back, pulling him down with her, careful not to break the kiss, afraid of what he might say if she did. What had started out as an experiment had just turned into something he himself was enjoying.

There was a knock on the door.

_Mood killer, _Amy thought.

Sheldon was the first to pull away, though it had been a few seconds later. He sat up, staring at Amy, who was still laying down under him. He licked his drying lips. "I should get that," he said after the second knock. He paused the movie, standing up and walking over to the door.

Amy sat up, straightening her sweater and skirt. She looked over at Sheldon, who hadn't even bothered to fix his mess up t-shirt. Did she really have that kind of affect on him?

Sheldon opened the door, seeing Raj. "Yes?" he asked, sounding irritated at the interruption.

"Leonard and Penny locked me out," Raj said. "And I bought them paint!"

Sheldon sighed, knowing he couldn't deny an upset Raj. He would never hear the end of it from Amy. "Come in," he said, allowing the Indian to come in. He walked into the kitchen. "Care for a hot beverage?"

"No, thank you," Raj said, sitting down in the tan chair.

"It's non-optional," Sheldon said, getting the red kettle.

"Then why did you ask?" Raj asked.

"Social protocol," Sheldon answered, filling the kettle with water.

"What were you watching?" Raj asked, looking at the tv.

Amy looked at the tv as well. She shrugged. "I've forgotten," she said truthfully. With what was happening, memory loss was acceptable.

"The Hills Have Eyes," Sheldon said, placing hte kettle on the stove eye.

"Yeah, that," Amy said with a nod.

"You got Sheldon to watch a scary movie?" Raj asked.

"In the dark," Amy said, looking at Sheldon, the two fo them sharing a knowing smile.

Sheldon handed Raj a cup of tea. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he sat down.

"What's there to talk about?" Raj asked. "I'm the third wheel with Leonard and Penny. I'm the third wheel with Howard and Bernadette. And no I'm the third wheel with you two!"

"Correct, you are," Sheldon said with a nod. "So why are you here?"

"Where else would I go?" Raj asked. "It's ten at night."

"We were having date night," Amy said.

"Oh," Raj said slowly. He looked down at his tea. "I'm sorry."

"You should be," Sheldon said. "You're forgiven. Now drink your tea then leave."

Raj looked at him. "I'm hurting here, Sheldon," he said. "You have no idea how lonely I am."

"You're right," Sheldon said. "That means we can't help you. It took us this long to find each other. And the desire to want each other."

Amy looked at him. "You want me?" she asked.

Sheldon looked at her. "I'm talking," he said. He looked back at Raj. "I apologize for her. Ask either Bernadette or Penny to set you up with one of their friends. That seems to be a thing with our group."

"Oh, I guess I can do that," Raj said. "It worked well with Howard."

"That's great," Sheldon said. "Now drink your tea and leave."

* * *

**How far will Sheldon let Amy go with their relationship?**

**Is he ready for intimacy?**

**We may never know**

**Please, leave reviews, they're always appreciated :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**You guys will never know how much your reviews mean to me**

**Especially when you say how much in character they are **

**Thank you, from the bottom of my Big Bang Heart 3**

**And, hey, back into my every other day pattern, go me!**

**This chapter can be a little boring, but worth it for the Shamy**

**This fic has turned into mainly Shamy, but that wasn't my plan, lol**

**Need more Lenny and Bernadette/Howard (idk their ship name)**

**Ok, I'll stop talking you enjoy yourselves**

* * *

"There is absolutely no way you did that," Howard was saying to Leonard as the two sat down to join Sheldon in the cafeteria.

"Did what?" Raj asked as he was finally joining his friends.

"Leonard passed up coitus with Penny to watch Babylon Five," Sheldon said. He looked at Leonard. "Even _I _wouldn't have done that."

"That's because you hate Babylon Five and sex sounds better to you," Leonard said. "Besides, I wasn't planning on sex in the first place."

Raj turned his head to look at Leonard. "Let me guess," he said. "You found out you were gay, but, since you were already moved in, can't bring yourself to tell Penny."

"No," Leonard said.

"Which only means you haven't found out yet," Howard said. "But you will soon enough."

"It has nothing to do with that, Howard," Leonard said.

Howard lifted his hand in an apologetic manner. "I know," he said. "Couldn't pass up the hilarity."

"Then what was going on?" Raj asked. "Relationship problems?"

"No, we're fine," Leonard said. "Well, we were. Now we have a small issue to deal with. No, it's because I'm an idiotic nerd who can't say no to Babylon Five when Sheldon can't tell me not to watch it."

"I don't blame you," Howard said, though he probably didn't mean it, but just wanted to help Leonard feel better about himself.

Sheldon lifted his head to look at the three. "I take offense to that," he said.

Howard was surprised. "You mean, you can actually be offended?" he asked.

Sheldon nodded his head. "Yes," he said. "You may not believe it, but I have feelings as well. I'm not proud of it, but I do."

Leonard had never seen Sheldon act so defensively before. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, every thing is fine," Sheldon said, having one of his rare sarcastic moments. "Why wouldn't they be? I just had one of the most intimate nights with Amy that was interrupted by a certain ethnic friend we all share." He glared at Raj.

Raj was confused. "Dude, what did I do?" he asked.

"Intimate?" Leonard asked, taking his turn with the confusion.

"_How_ intimate?" Howard then asked, skipping over the confusion and getting right to the part where he hopes sex was involved somehow.

Sheldon apparently had just now realized what he had just said, because he became unusually quiet. He turned his head, looking down at his food, appearing to be ashamed for a reason only he would know. "Kissing," he said quietly.

"With tongue?" Howard asked with a smirk.

"No," Sheldon said, looking at his shorter friend with a small glare, irritated at his persistence. He looked forward, thinking for a moment. "I don't think."

"Go, Sheldon!" Raj said with a smile.

Leonard smiled as well. "Who made the first move?" he asked.

"Which time?" Sheldon asked.

"Multiple kisses!" Howard said.

"You dog, you," Leonard added.

"I apologize for asking," Sheldon said. "But I don't know how my being a 'dog', as you say, has to do with anything."

"It's just an expression," Leonard said. "Do we get details?"

"And have the same type of conversation Amy has with Penny all of the time?" Sheldon asked. "I strongly decline." He stood up, grabbing his now-empty tray. "I must get back to work." He left the cafeteria, emptying the garbage into the can on his way out.

"I wonder how it'll go down when they finally do it," Raj said.

"I imagine that-when they do finally have sex," Howard started. "They'll both wear giant condoms that cover their entire bodies. Then roll around on the bed for a while. They'll soon morph into one being and stay that way for a few months. At that point, they'll break apart into three beings with a slightly shorter Shamy and a Shamy baby."

Both Leonard and Raj stared at him for a few long moments, attempting to process everything that was just said.

"How do you come up with these?" Leonard asked.

"All by myself," Howard said with a shrug. "With a little help from National Geographic."

* * *

Penny and Bernadette were in Penny's apartment to help her finish her packing for her big move into Sheldon's apartment the following day. Amy was chipper than she usually was, even humming to herself as she moved around the apartment.

"Hey, Amy," Penny said, wrapping a small figurine with an old newspaper.

Amy stopped and turned herself completely around to face the beautiful blonde, a huge smile on her face. "Yes, Penny?" she asked.

"You're extremely happy," Penny said.

"Oh, am I?" Amy asked. "I hadn't noticed." She turned around, walking away from the couch.

"What happened on your date with Sheldon last night?" Bernadette asked.

Amy leaned against the wall, sighing loudly. "Sheldon and I made out," she said with a small sing-songy voice. She looked at the two. "He was on top of me."

"Wow," Penny said. "Hot."

"Then we were interrupted by Raj," Amy said, walking towards the couch, now sounding bitter. "He was upset so Sheldon let him sleep there and I went home."

"Oh, that sucks," Penny said with empathy.

"But," Amy continued with another smile. "Sheldon wants to do it again. Said he really enjoyed it. Now thinks kissing isn't that bad. Said it shouldn't be mandatory, but more of a spur of the moment kind of thing."

"Sheldon Cooper said _that_?" Penny asked with a sign of shock.

"At a whisper," Amy responded. "In my ear." She sighed once again, looking out at nothing. "Oh, the things you do to me, Dr. Cooper."

"This is a huge step for Sheldon," Penny said. "I think it's something you do to him."

Amy looked at her best friend. "Do you think he thinks about me as much as I think about him?" she asked.

"No," Penny answered truthfully. "But he's getting there." She put the wrapped figurine into the final box, closing it. "When I first met him, he hated human contact in general, much less hand-holding or kissing. Then he met you and everything's changed."

Bernadette chose to chime in at this moment, ending her previous silence. "Sounds a lot like soul mates," she said.

Amy smiled softly, looking at Bernadette. "You think me and Sheldon are soul mates?" she asked.

"What else would you call whatever it is you two have?" Bernadette asked. "He's never been open to relationships before and now you're moving in together and making out."

Amy grinned like a little girl once again. "In the dark," she said.

Penny smiled, she was truly excited about this. Shamy was her favorite and she loved Amy's reactions to every little thing Sheldon did. "There's hope yet," she said. "So, do we got everything?"

Amy nodded, looking around the apartment. "I'm kinda gonna miss this place," she said. The bland apartment filled with packed boxes looked odd to her. She hadn't moved in so long and now she was moving in with Sheldon.

"Not for long," Penny said, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Moving in with Sheldon has been something you've wanted for a long time. You'll get used to the change."

"I still can't believe it's actually happening," amy said, looking at Penny.

"When should I pick you up tomorrow?" Penny asked.

"Around nine," Amy said. "Sheldon has a schedule before then he hates having interrupted and the afternoon will be too late and we'd have to wait until Wednesday."

"So who kissed who?" Bernadette asked, clearly wanting to steer back to their previous conversation.

"Well, I made a move," Amy said. "But Sheldon was the one to kiss me."

"How far do you think you would've gotten had Raj not interrupted?" Bernadette asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," Amy said. "I'd like to say, all the way. But, if he said stop, I would've stopped. He's not ready, and I don't think I am either. And until we both are, I can be patient and wait."

"We should go out tonight," Penny said, apparently pondering that thought as Bernadette and Amy spoke. "We haven't gone dancing in a while." She stood up. "And I feel like partying."

"How about makeovers?" Bernadette suggested. "We still have time before going to a club will be fun."

"Dress up?" Amy asked, excited all over again. "I love makeovers!"

"Sounds fun," Penny said. "And we even have ourselves a natural designated driver. Ha!" She smiled at Bernadette before leaving the apartment.

Bernadette looked at Amy. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked.

Amy grew worried. She nodded her head. "Yeah."

* * *

Sheldon and Leonard walked into the lobby of Sheldon's apartment building after work, Leonard stopping to wait as Sheldon checked the mail. "Why aren't you going home?" Sheldon asked, grabbing the mail. "Or have you forgotten?"

"I didn't forget," Leonard said. "Penny went with Amy and Bernadette to get a makeover and the thought of being alone in that house wasn't appealing, so spending the night with you was the next best choice."

Sheldon looked at Leonard. "I should have been the first best choice," he said. "Why do they need makeovers anyway?" he asked as they headed up the stiars. "Is there something wrong with how they look now?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with them," Leonard said. "Girls just like to dress up, I guess. I don't understand it, either." He looked at Sheldon. "What do you think about how Amy looks?" He had never heard Sheldon once mention Amy's appearance in anyway, bringing it up now seemed like a logical choice.

"I don't understand how her physical appearance matters," Sheldon said. "I thought it was her personality and quirks I was in love with, not her looks?"

Leonard smiled as they turned the corner. "Well, it's good that you feel that way," he said. "The fact that looks don't matter to you is nice to know."

"Well, they clearly matter to you," Sheldon said. "Or else you and Penny never would have become a couple."

Leonard stopped Sheldon, looking up at the taller man. "Are you saying that were Penny an ugly woman, I never would have spoke to her?" he asked.

"That is _exactly_ what I'm saying," Sheldon said, continuing up the stairs.

They soon rounded the corner up the final flight of stairs to Sheldon's floor. "You never answered my question," he said.

Sheldon stopped to unlock the door. "That's because the question was irrelevant," he said. "An answer will not make me love Amy more, nor will it make me love her any less."

Leonard followed him inside, closing the door as he did so. "Now you're just avoiding the question," he said. "The relevancy of the answer has nothing to do with it."

Sheldon turned around to look at Leonard, who stopped. "Will an answer end this conversation?" he asked.

Leonard paused for a moment to think. He nodded his head once. "Yes," he said.

"Alright," Sheldon said with a half-nod. "I happen to think that Amy is a very beautiful woman." He turned around once more, walking into the kitchen.

Leonard smiled even wider. "Have you told _her _that?" he asked.

"You said this conversation was over," Sheldon said.

"Yeah, I lied," Leonard said, unashamed of the fact. He walked into the kitchen to join Sheldon.

Sheldon looked at him as he grabbed a soda from the fridge. "You tricked me," he said. "And, no, I have never mentioned such words to Amy. I've never seen the need to. She feels beautiful all on her own."

"Don't you think that_ maybe_ she'd feel more beautiful if she knew you thought she was?" Leonard asked.

"I hadn't thought of that," Sheldon said. "Would that mean she feels, at this very moment, less beautiful than she potentially could be?"

"Yeah, I guess," Leonard said.

Sheldon turned his head to the side, processing this new information in his head. "Huh," he let out. He looked at Leonard. "Apparently I _don't_ know everything."

"Sheldon Cooper admitting he's not 'all-knowing'?" Leonard asked.

"I said I didn't know everything," Sheldon said. "Not that I only knew a fraction of information I oculd know." He walked past Leonard, heading to the couch.

The two of them sat down, Sheldon in his spot and Leonard in the chair. "How come you haven't told her you love her face to face again?" eh asked.

Sheldon reached forward, grabbing the remote. He looked at Leonard, surprised by the question. "I have," he said.

"Amy tells Penny every thing," Leonard said. "And then Penny tells me cause she can't resist gossip."

"Why are you so into my relationship with Amy?" Sheldon asked, avoiding this question as well.

"Because you're my friend," Leonard said. "And I care."

"You're my friend, too," Sheldon said. "But I could care less about your relationship with Penny."

"That's beside the point," Leonard said, knowing he couldn't win against Sheldon. He was cut short when the door opened, Howard and Raj walking in.

Howard spoke up before a greeting could be told. "We're going to a bar," he said, stopping in the middle of the room.

"Why?" Leonard asked. "We only go to bars to pick up women. And we're all in a relationship."

"All," Howard started. "But Raj.

"We're attempting to find Raj a life mate at a cheesy bar?" Sheldon questioned.

"No," Howard said. "we're finding Raj a one-night stand at a cheesy bar. You can't find a life-long relationship with a chick from a bar."

"That's_ his_ opinion," Raj said. "I'm still hoping."

"Hopelessly," Howard added. He looked at Leonard. "What do you think?"

"Sure," Leonard said. "I have nothing better to do."

"Excuse me," Sheldon said. "Nothing better to do? We'll be watching a marathon of Battlestar Galactica, season one. _That's_ something better to do."

"Yeah, that totally sounds like fun," Leonard said sarcastically. He looked at Howard. "When will we be going?"

"Right now if you're ready," Howard said.

Leonard stood up. "I'm ready," he said. "Sheldon, you coming?"

"I would rather be devoured and then regurgitated by a giant Venus fly trap," Sheldon said.

"Tanya is a trained botanist," Howard said. "I'm sure she would be thrilled to hlp you out there."

"Don't encourage him," Leonard said. "Knowing the both of them, they might actually try it out."

"Are you coming or not, dude?" Raj asked.

"The answer is no," Sheldon said. "I'm staying her to watch a marathon of Battlestar Galactica, season one."

"You'll be all alone," Leonard said.

"That's the best part," Sheldon said.

The door opened once more, the three girls walking in. Penny and Bernadette were dressed up, Penny being slightly buzzed, while Amy looked just the same and looking _very _drunk.

"She took my wine," Penny said with a pout. "She wants Sheldon." She pushed against Amy, then pulled Bernadette as the two of them left.

Amy pointed at Sheldon. "I'm gonna take you," she said, her speech slightly slurred.

Sheldon cocked an eyebrow. "Take me where?" he asked.

"Let's go, guys," Howard said for the trio. "Later, Sheldon." He went out the door, followed by Leonard and Raj, respectively.

Amy sat down on the couch, leaning against Sheldon. He could smell the alcohol on her breath. "Now's your chance, Sheldon," she said, placing a hand against his thigh.

Sheldon just stared at her, his heart racing. At first, he wasn't sure of her intentions, but now they were very clear, even to him. He swallowed the knot in his throat before he spoke. "You're intoxicated," he said quietly.

"You're point?" Amy asked. She leaned down, planting a kiss under his ear, her breath against his skin gave him chills.

"I would prefer we both be sober the first time," Sheldon said.

Amy pulled away, looking down at him. "You mean that?" she asked.

Sheldon nodded his head. "Every word," he said. He pointed at the tv. "Would you like to watch Battlestar?"

Amy made a face. "Only if you hold me," she proposed.

"Fair enough," Sheldon said, lifting his arm to help her get comfortable.

Amy snuggled up against him with a smile as he put his arm down around her shoulder. "Thank you, Sheldon," she said.

Sheldon turned on the tv. "Why so?" he asked, flipping through the channels to find Battlestar.

"For being you," Amy said, laying an arm across his chest.

Sheldon moved his head to look down at her. He had never thought about it before, but, as he looked at her, stared at her, he was really starting to appreciate the beauty in his arms that is Amy Farrah Fowler, even in her drunken state. He returned his gaze to the television, a smile on his face.

* * *

Howard looked around the bar, a beer in his hand. "See any Indian chicks?" he asked.

"She _can _be white, you know," Raj said. "I don't need my own race."

Howard looked at him. "Don't you want to please your parents?" he asked.

"With a hookup?" Raj asked. "Oh they would just _love _that."

"You'll never know," Howard said.

Just then, a red-headed woman walked up to them, standing between Howard adn Raj, her attention solely on Raj. "Hi," she said with a warm smile. "I'm Alli. My friends pressured me into talking to you."

"My name is Rajesh," Raj said. "You can call me Raj. " Howard left, joining Leonard on the other side of the bar.

Alli smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Raj," she said.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Raj asked.

Alli shook her head. "I don't drink," she said.

Raj pushed his grasshopper away. "I just quit," he said.

Alli giggled at him. "You're cute," she said. "Do you-" She stopped short. She smiled nervously, sticking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you wannna go out sometime?"

"What about right now?" Raj asked. "I know a great place within walking distance from here."

Alli nodded her head. "I would like that," she said.

Raj guided her to the exit, giving a thumbs up in Howard's direction as they left the bar.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy had been sitting in the same position for a few hours now, the time nearing eleven o'clock at night. Sheldon looked down, seeing that Amy had fallen asleep. When, he wasn't sure of. He carefully got up, walking to Leonard's old room, grabbing a pillow and blanket and returning to the couch.

He lifted her head, placing it gently down on the pillow. He put the blanket on her, covering her up to keep her warm during the night. He knelt down next to the couch, tucking her in. He took her glasses off, placing them down on the coffee table.

He stared at her once again, watching as she slept peacefully. He had never admired something in such a way before. His heart began racing once again, feeling himself excited to not only be around her, but to just see her face.

He pushed her hair aside, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Good night, Amy," he said. He smiled softly, standing up. He then went to his bedroom, turning off the light on the way.

* * *

**D'aww!**

**There I said it for everyone**

**Let's see how many reviews I can get for this chapter**

**My record is like three I think**

**Review like crazy!**

**Also, as a heads up, I won't be doing any smut if anyone wants that**

**Right it yourself if you want**

**It'll come up, and I'll give you permission to either write it or just imagine**

**Ok, I'll leave y'all to your other fics.**

**Later! :)**

**P.S. I have a small idea for a Shenny fic, but that won't be until after I finish this one, just a heads up**


	7. Chapter 7

**Look at me updating the very next day**

**By the time this is up, it'll still be Jim's birthday in LA :) yay two chapters on his birthday**

**I can never thank you guys enough for the reviews. The ones for the last chapter made me smile more than usual and I don't even know why**

**I have a favorite part in this chapter and I think you'll guys like it, too**

* * *

Leonard walked into the kitchen the next morning, seeing that Penny had passed out on the couch in the wee hours of the morning as he walked by. He then started a pot of coffee, prepared for her hangover.

Penny shortly after joined him in the kitchen, the blanket from the couch wrapped around her shoulders. "How late was I last night?" she asked as she sat down at the table.

"I don't know," Leonard said, turning around to face her. "I didn't see you come in."

"I'm sorry," Penny said out of nowhere.

"For what?" Leonard asked. "You go out partying and drinking often. Nothing to be sorry about."

"Not about that," Penny said. "About the other night. I overreacted. It was ok for you to watch that stupid show."

Leonard was so close to saying how the show wasn't stupid, but knew better than to start an arguement over it. "No, I was being stupid," he said. "I shoul've just turned the tv off."

Penny smiled at him. "So are we both forgiven?" she asked.

Leonard nodded his head. "Entirely," he said. He smiled at her, leaning over to give her a kiss. "How's the hangover?"

"I slept most of it away," Penny said. "But, nothing some coffee can't cure."

"That can be easily arranged," Leonard said, walking to the cabinets to get a cofee mug for her.

"Bernadette told me and Amy a secret," Penny said, making what she thought was conversation with Leonard, as that was how she spoke with her normal friends.

"Then keep it that way," Leonard said, not wanting to encourage her love of gossip, but knew that she would probably tell him anyways.

"You can't tell Howard," Penny said.

"My lips are sealed," Leonard said, pouring Penny some coffee. He then walked to the table, handing her the hot liquid, sitting down across from her. "Spill the beans."

"Bernadette had a miscarriage," Penny said.

Leonard never would have expected something so dramatic as that. "That's terrible," he said. "How's she doing?"

"She says she's cried most of her sadness away," Penny said, clearly not believing the words herself. "But she doesn't know how to tell Howard. He seemed so excited."

Leonard shook his head, now finding himself participating. "He was having doubts," he said. "He thinks he'll eventually turn into his father and walk out on them."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Penny asked, her voice hitting a high pitch and squeaking as it oft did. Leonard found it annoying at first, but now it was adorable to him.

"Because I actually care about confidentiality," Leonard said.

"What else haven't you told me?" Penny asked.

"Nothing," Leonard said. "Mainly because no one tells me things and I eventually tell you when they do."

"Now you can't get onto my gossiping," Penny said with a smirk. She stopped talking only to drink some of the coffee. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine," Leonard answered.

Penny stood up. "I gotta get to Amy's place soon," she said. "I'm gonna go shower." She stopped at the door, turning to lok at him. "Care to join me?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," Leonard said, standing up to follow her.

* * *

Amy woke up to the smell of oatmeal cooking. She opened her eyes to let it adjust to the light, waking herself up. She looked around, seeing that she was in Sheldon's apartment. Wait, it was Wedneday. _Their_ apartment. She smiled, remembering what had happened the night before.

Sheldon had apparently noticed she awakened. "What do you like with your oatmeal?" he asked, looking over at her.

Amy sat up, straightening the mess that was her hair as best she could. "Do you have cinnamon?" she asked, reaching forward and grabbing her glasses, putting them on.

"I believe I do," Sheldon said, putting the cooked oatmeal into two seperate bowls. "Penny called. She's at the apartment with Leonard and a U-haul. I explained to her how you were feeling and they agreed to load the boxes already."

Amy folded up the blanket, placing it down next to her. "That was nice of them," she said.

Sheldon brought her the oatmeal, sitting down on the couch next to her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Amy took the bowl he had handed to her. "I feel like crap," she said. "I don't think that I've ever drunk that much before."

Sheldon looked at her. "I'm curious," he said. "Why _were_ you drinking last night?"

"I don't know," Amy said with a shrug. "I guess I thought if I were drunk I could convince you to..." She trailed off, turning her head to look at Sheldon. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Sheldon said, mixing up the oatmeal with his spoon. He looked at Amy once again. "I'm not ready."

"I know," Amy said. She figured they would have had this conversation last night had she not been completly hammered. "And I promise to never bug you again and let you be the one to say when we can."

Sheldon nodded his head, looking back at the oatmeal. He smiled, looking at Amy once again. "Look at us," he said. "Figuring out our future together!"

"Can we share a room?" Amy asked with a smile, hopeful.

"No," Sheldon said with a shake of his head, returning to his breakfast.

Worth a shot. "Where's the Roommate Agreement?" Amy asked.

"I had forgotten about that," Sheldon said, looking at her. He put the bowl down on the coffee table, standing up. "I'll be right back." He walked away from the couch, to the hallway, and eventually to his bedroom.

Amy ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to comb it with her digits. She took off her cardigan as she was getting hot, laying it neatly next to her. She looked over at the hallway, waiting for Sheldon.

It wasn't a long wait as Sheldon soon returned with the Roommate Agreement in hand, though it appeared to be thinner then she last remembered. "I took out a few sections that would not apply to you as you are a woman and you are in a relationship with me," he said. "Although, I did add a section solely for the purpose of the menstral cylce." He held the agreement out to her. "You know where to sign and initial."

Amy smiled at him. "Do I _really _need this?" she asked. "I have the whole thing memorized anyways."

Sheldon nodded his head. "True," he said. "But you still have to sign or else the agreement is invalid."

Amy sighed, putting the notebook down next to her. "If I have to," she said, opening it up. She looked at Sheldon. "Do you have a pen?" she asked.

Sheldon pointed at the small table next to the couch. "Over here," he said.

Before Sheldon could move to grab the pen for her, Amy reached forward, leanign against him, pressing her body up against his. Their gaze met and she gave him a smirk, grabbing the pen. She then leaned away, turning to sign the agreement. Once she was done going through the many pages, she looked at Sheldon, holding the pen out to him. "Thanks," she siad.

Sheldon pointed at the table once agian. "You can put it back," he said.

That response surprised Amy. She slowly nodded her head. She leaned over him once again, putting the pen back down in the exact same place as she found it.

When she attempted to lean away once again, she was stopped by a hand on her waist. She realized Sheldon actually wanted her in this postition. She looked at him, noticing the slight smirk on his face, that maybe he didn't know he had. "Sheldon," she said quietly.

"Are you aware of how much I hate it when people point out the obvious?" Sheldon asked.

Amy didn't understand the purpose of the question but answered with a nod. "You say so every time some does," she said.

"And I am about to be one of those people," Sheldon said. He pulled her down gnetly, allowing her to sit in his lap, which caused her breathing to become quiet, but eratic.

Sheldon opened his mouth to speak again when the door opened, interupting them yet again. They were both surprised by it, they grabbed onto each other out of insticnt.

"Are we interupting something?" Leonard asked.

Amy looked at Sheldon. Were they? She wasn't sure. "No," she said quietly, unable to read Sheldon's expression, but that wasn't new. She climbed off of him, standing up next to the couch.

"Were you just making out in Sheldon's spot?" Penny asked with a smile.

"No, we were not," Sheldon said, standing up himslef.

"Were you going to?" Penny asked.

Amy looked at Sheldon. "Yeah, Sheldon," she siad. "Were we?"

Sheldon's fear of confrontation was showing, and he avoided the question all together. "What are you two doing here anyways?" he asked.

"We're bringing over Amy's things," Leonard said. "Like Penny told you on the phone ten minutes ago."

"I hadn't realized you'd be so quick," Sheldon said.

"That phonecall was on the raod," Penny said. "Which is also what I told you." She looked at Amy. "You broke Sheldon!"

Amy smiled wide. "I did," she said excitedly.

"Are you gonna help us carry some stuff in?" Leonard asked, looking for something that would keep the door propped open.

Sheldon grinned then let out a small, silent chuckle. "Oh, Leonard, you amuse me," he said.

"There's small boxes, too," Leonard said, grabbing a box filled with old tearing comic books that was labeled 'trash'. He opened the door. "The more the merrier." He put the box down, keeping the door open.

"That's entirly not true," Sheldon said. "And we have been over this before and I really don't feel like saying it again."

"Sheldon, if you help," Amy started. "I'll give you a pirze."

Sheldon's face lit up at the word 'prize'. "What kind of prize?" he asked.

"The best kind of prize is a surprise!" Amy said.

Sheldon's face fell as fast as it lit up. "No, the best kind of prize is the prize I know," he siad. "If I don't know what it's going to be," He shook his head. "I don't want it."

"Maybe I'll be needing a pen soon," Amy said.

Sheldon was confused. "What for?" he asked. "You only needed it to sign the agreement and you already did that."

Amy should have known he wouldn't have taken the hint. "Rember that thing we did eariler?" she asked.

Sheldon stopped for a moment to think about that, nodding his head. "Oh," he said once the realization hit him. He shrugged. "Maybe I can help for a little while."

* * *

"So, have you learned to drive yet?" Penny asked after they had brought in the last box. Leonard had got called to work and had to go, leaving Amy and Penny to do all the heavy lifting.

"I've been too busy," Sheldon said, exploring inside one of the boxes nearest to him.

"Procrastinating," Amy corrected.

Sheldon looked at her. "No, I haven't," he said.

"Sheldon, you've been putting it off since you got the car," Amy said. "You're gonna have to do it eventually."

"I have attemtped to learn to drive," Sheldon said. "And last time I killed fourteen pedestrians. In a shopping mall."

That surprised Amy, placing a hand on her chest. "Oh, my god!" she exclaimed. "How come you never told me?!"

"It was a simulated drive," Penny said.

Amy sighed in relief. "Oh, you had me scared for a second there," she told Sheldon. "That's not anythign like real driving, though."

"No, he's almost just as bad," Penny said.

Sheldon gave her a look that made the conversation end right there. He then turned his head to look at Amy."I'll be right back," he said. He gestured his head to Penny. "Get rid of her." He turned around, stopping before he ran into Penny. He glared at her once more, walking around her and to his room.

Penny let out a small hcuckle, looking at Amy. "So what was going on earlier?" she asked, getting the chance to talk about it.

"To be honest, I don't know," Amy said as they both sat down on the couch. "I leaned against him to be flirty and he wanted me to do it again, so I did."

"You were in his lap," Penny said.

"Yeah," Amy said with a smile and a sigh. She looked at Penny. "He wanted to tell me something then you guys walked in."

"Yeah, sorry about taht, we didn't know," Penny said. "This just hasn't been your week."

"He's been acting so different lately," Amy said. "I'm not sure how I should respond every time he wants to be physical with me."

"I wish i had some advice for you," Penny said. She shook her head. "But only Shedon knows how to perfectly respond to Sheldon."

As if he were a puppy coming when his name was called, Sheldon walked back in, not even adressing the fact taht Penny was still there. "Amy, do you mind coming to my bedroom for a moment?" he asked.

That was new. Sheldon never wanted people ins his bedroom, he was barely comfortable with having Amy in there. Must be a spider. "Why?" she asked.

Sheldon was quiet for a moment, now noticing that Penny was present still. He looked at Amy, continuing still. "I wish to engage in coitus with you," he said.

Amy could feel Penny's eyes on her, but she couldn't move her gaze away form her boyfriend. Had he just said what she thought he said? Never in any of her dreams was the sex initiated by him. "What?" was all she could get out.

Sheldon fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, which wasn't like him. "Much like the hit song from the eighties," he started, looking back up at Amy. "I just can't figth this feeling any longer."

"He probably googled that reference," Penny said, standing up. "He means business." She gave both Amy and sheldon a smile before she left the apartment, leaving them alone.

Sheldon held his arm out, pointing towards his bedroom, gesturing for her to come with him.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked as she stood up.

Sheldon was hesitant, but soon nodded his head. "I have never been more sure," he said.

Amy took a deep breath and walked over to Sheldon. She felt him take a hold of her hand as he guided her to his bedroom. She sat down on the bed as he closed teh door. She looked behind her to see him still standing at the door, even holding the knob still. "Care to join me, Romeo?" she asked.

"That's a terrible romance," Sheldon said. "Two teenagers who can't be together and so they commit suicide together." He shook his head. "Twilight is a much more acurate dipiction of love."

"You hate Twilight," Amy said.

"Yes, but you love it," Sheldon said.

Amy smiled at him, pointing the bed next to her. "Join me," she insisted.

"I'm nervous," Sheldon said, his clutch on the door knob was causing his knuckles to turn white.

"You think I'm not?" Amy asked.

"I don't do this very often," Sheldon said, letting go of the knob. He brought his hand up, rubbing his aching fingers.

Amy let out a small laugh. "Sheldon, I know," she said. She pat the bed once more. "Get your sexy ass over here, Dr. Cooper."

Sheldon slowly made his way to the bed, sitting down next to her. "I suddenly feel very weak," he said.

Amy put her arms around him in an atempt to make him more comfortable. "You're trembling," she said.

Sheldon looked at her, grabbing her wrist, holding her where she was. "Amy Farrah Fowler," he started. "I am in love with you."

Amy smiled, glad to finally hear him say the words again. "I love you, too, Sheldon," she said.

"And I'm about to be very blunt and honest to you," Sheldon said.

Amy removed her arms, but placed a hand on his leg. "Say what you have to say," she said, fearing the worst as she alwasy did.

Sheldon grabbed her hand, holding it tightly between the two of his as if it were trying to escape. "You amaze me," he said. "Your personality. Your inteligence. Your... your beauty."

Amy had never heard him speak of her in such a way before and knew that Sheldon had to be just as shocked as she was, if not more.

"Whenever I see you, all I can think about-" Sheldon started then stopped for a reason only he could know. "All I think about is the day on the train."

"And on the ocuch?" Amy asked.

Sheldon nodded his head. "I always want to reach out and touch you," he said. "Be it with my hands or my lips, it doesn't matter. I want you close by my side."

He was speaking such beautiful words. It was almost too good to be true. "Is this from some movei?" she asked.

Sheldon shook his head. "I'm making it up as I go along," he said. "I believe it's called 'improvisation', or better known as improv." He was cut short when Amy leaned in, pressign her lips against his, no longer surprised by his welcome to the touch.

After a few seconds, Amy pulled away. "You're not the only one who can improvise," she said.

"Amy, I can't do it," Sheldon said.

Amy's face fell. "You brought me in here for one reason only," she said.

Sheldon nodded ihs head. "I know," he said. "I thought I was ready." He shook his head. "Apparently I was mistaken. This is too much for me right now." He looked down. "I'm sorry."

Amy pulled him in for another hug. "Don't be," she said. "This talk was intimate enough for the both of us."

Sheldon placed his hand on her neck just as he had the other night on the couch. He lifted his head, turning it, kissing her gently on the lips. He was so soft, so sweet, yet, at the same time, so passionate.

Sheldon parted, but still held his head close to hers, his eyes closed. "Can you stay with me tonight?" he asked at a whisper, opening his eyes. "Just to hold me?"

Amy nodded her head. "I would do anything for you, Sheldon," she said.

* * *

Penny, Howard, and Bernadette all waited in the house for Leonard to get back in time for their double date. If he didn't get back soon, Penny would end up bein the third wheel for the happily married couple.

"They're having sex right now," Penny said out of the blue.

Howard and Bernadette shared a look of confusion. "Who are?" Bernadette asked.

Penny looked at them. "Sheldon and Amy," she said. "_Sheldon_ initiated sex."

"Finally!" Howard said with a huge grin on his face. He looked at his wife. "Who had four years?"

"You bet on Sheldon's sex life?" Penny asked as she grabbed her phone when it alerted her of a text message.

"Sex used to be my entire life," Howard said. "And it's not Sheldon's. Two and two makes four."

Penny put her phone back down. "They aren't going through with it," she said. "Sheldon's too nervous. But they are gonna spoon though."

"Oh, so close," Howard said.

"Howie, can I speak to you for a minute?" Bernadette asked, choosing this time to tell him, standing up.

"Sure," Howard said, standing up as well.

"I'm here for you," Penny said as they started to walk out of the living room. "Be strong, Howard!"

* * *

**Oh, how will Howard react? :O**

**I keep running out of things to say down here, so, um**

**See you later, I guess? **

**Leave reviews**


	8. Chapter 8

**Whoa, I'm updating at day time? What?**

**This chapter is kinda just a fun one**

**An even more fun one is coming up next**

**Gotta build up to it, though**

**Also, Gabblehauser autocorrects to Handscrabble, idk**

**Monopoly time! Kinda**

* * *

When Amy woke up the next morning, she could still feel Sheldon's arm around her waist. She smiled, placing her hand against his cold bare arm, finding out the sleeve of his shirt had gotten pushed up in the night. She moved her eyes up to look at the alarm clock. It was nearly eleven, why was he still asleep? He never slept late.

She shook Sheldon's arm with her hand, turning her head as best she could to look at him. "Sheldon," she said. "You have to get up. You're late for work."

Amy could feel Sheldon shake his head against the back of hers. "Dr. Gabblehauser can't afford to fire me over a little tardiness," he mumbled, apparently still wanting to sleep.

Amy turned onto her side, now facing him. "It's more than just a little tardy, Sheldon," she said. "It's almost eleven in the morning. That's straight out late."

Sheldon finally opened his eyes,, smiling at her as if they had done something more intimate than just sleep. "Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine," he said.

Amy couldn't help but return the smile. She was really enjoying this side of Sheldon and wanted to keep it around for as long as she could. She loved it when he smiled at her the way he did. It always felt genuine. "Good morning, Sheldon," she said. "You still need to get ready."

"I don't wanna go anywhere," Sheldon said before doing what she least expected: he pulled her body closer to his.

Maybe letting him quit his job wouldn't have been a bad idea.

"Then who's gonna prove String Theory?" Amy asked. "Leonard?"

That got Sheldon's attention. "Oh, I can't have that," he said. He shrugged a shoulder. "But in what universe will he prove String Theory before I do? I can do it at home alone before he can do it with a team."

That didn't go quite as planned.

"What about _your _work?" Sheldon asked, firing the arrows back at her. "Those brains aren't gonna examine themselves."

He had a point there. She shrugged. "One day won't hurt anybody," she said, giving in. "What do you want to do today?"

"There's a sale at the comic book store," Sheldon said with a smile.

Amy pouted. "But you just went yesterday," she said.

"Yes," Sheldon said slowly with a nod of his head. "Because yesterday was New Comic Book Day. But Stuart didn't have a sale yesterday. He does today. On Anything Can Happen Thursday."

An argument like this with Sheldon barely ever made sense to anyone but Sheldon, but, admittedly, Amy got it this time. "Alright," she said. "We can go to the comic book store. On one condition."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "These never end well," he said. "But go on. What is this stipulation of yours?"

"You drive your Mini," Amy proposed.

Sheldon nodded his head. "That sounds fair enough," he said. "My mini what?"

Amy knew he wouldn't have understood. "Your car," she said to be more clear.

"Oh, _that_," Sheldon said with a groan, moving his arm from around her as he stood up out of the bed. "But I can't drive."

"I'll teach you," Amy said, grabbing her glasses off the side table and putting them on.

Sheldon looked at her as he walked to his dresser. "That does sound better than a simulator," he said, opening the top drawer.

Amy looked at him, sitting up in the bed. "You're ok with me teaching you something?" she asked.

"Sure, why not," Sheldon said, gathering the things he needed for a shower. "I imagine you would be my second favorite teacher. Right below my first grade teacher, Mrs. Smith."

"Why is_ she_ your favorite?" Amy asked. Was she envious of a teacher from years ago?

Sheldon stopped before he left the room and looked at Amy. "She gave me my first A of the first grade," he said.

"Now I'm kinda jealous of her," Amy said, admitting it.

"You should be," Sheldon said. "She was an excellent teacher despite the fact her IQ was barely a few points higher than Howards."

"Howard's smart," Amy said, defending their mutual friend.

Sheldon let out a laugh. "I much enjoy your hilarity, Dr. Fowler," he said.

Amy sighed, giving him a smile. There was no way she could convince him otherwise. "Thank you, Dr. Cooper," she said.

Sheldon smiled at her before he turned around and left the bedroom to go and shower.

* * *

Leonard slowly opened the door of his and Penny's house, arriving home _much_ later than anticipated. It was nearly eleven. He had been absent for over twelve hours now. Penny was not going to be happy with him returning so late after work.

Which was followed by pulling an all-nighter with a few of his co-workers, watching movies at Kripke's place. Which was something Sheldon wouldn't be happy with.

He crept inside, closing the door slowly behind him.

"Well, what do we have here?" he heard Penny say from behind him.

He should have known she'd notice. He turned around, giving her a nervous smile. "I can explain," he said.

"Explain?!" Penny asked. "You think I want an explanation?"

That sound a lot like a trick question, but Leonard couldn't be sure. "No?" he asked.

Apparently that was the wrong answer.

"Yes, I want one!" Penny yelled. "We were supposed to go out with Howard and Bernadette, but you ditched!"

"Yeah, I did," Leonard said, seeing no point in denying it. "Ok, first off, I'm so sorry."

Penny nodded her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Good start," she said.

Leonard walked over to her. "I didn't mean to bail on you guys," he said. "I was pressured to Kripke's place." Penny's eyebrows shot up. "Not like that! There were about six other guys. We stayed up all night on Red Bull watching old films."

"_That's_ your explanation?" Penny asked.

"It's the truth," Leonard said.

"You stood me up to hang with men drinking Red Bull?" Penny asked, demanding plenty of well-deserved answers.

"And vodka," Leonard said.

Penny smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Your first time doing normal guy things!" she said excitedly, hugging him to her.

Leonard was confused. "Uh... yeah, ok," he said.

Penny kissed him on the cheek before leaning away. "I've got an audition to get to," she said. "See you later at the Shamy hideout."

Confusion didn't seem to escape him today. "Why are we going there?"

"We were invited," Penny said. "You would have known that had you not been a douche." She left the house with a smile on his face.

Leonard's expression was much different. He walked up the stairs, trying to piece together this puzzle. He eventually gave up so he could get himself some sleep.

* * *

Amy was bored, as she always was whenever they went to the comic book store. But, Sheldon was excited about it and that was enough to make her happy.

She lifted a comic book, showing it to her robotic boyfriend. "What about this one?" she asked.

Sheldon turned his head to look at the book in her hand. "Got it," he said, returning to the ones he was looking at, saying the exact same two words as he looked through them for one he didn't already own.

Amy sighed, returning the child-like already filled coloring book back in the place she found it.

"How's it goin'?" Stuart asked as he approached her.

Amy looked at him. "Hey, Stuart," she said. "Out of fun, do you ever just _not_ put out comics Sheldon doesn't already own?"

Stuart shook his head. "No, but I've thought about it," he said. "And I have too few friends to risk losing one more. Are you having fun?"

The both of them looked at Sheldon when he grabbed a comic book and lifted it, exclaiming: "Need it!"

Amy looked back at Stuart. "Tons," she said in monotone.

"Yeah, no, I don't blame you," Stuart said. "Girls never have fun here. When they show up. At least the attractive ones."

Amy smiled at him. "It was one day, Stuart," she said. "Get over yourself." She walked past the nerd, heading to her tall and sexy nerd, Sheldon.

"Oh, no, I wasn't..." Stuart started. "Ok, then."

"Sheldon, you need to think of something fun for our 'get together' tonight," Amy said with air quotations as a way to mock Sheldon for refusing to be the host of a dinner party.

"I still don't see why _we _have to do something for Howard getting his doctorate," Sheldon said as they made their way over to Stuart to buy the book.

"Because he's our friend," Amy said.

"No, he's _your_ friend," Sheldon said.

"You held hands," Amy said.

"Yes, in fear," Sheldon said, handing the comic book to Stuart to ring up. "My life was in danger and he was within reach."

"Aren't you proud of him?" Amy asked.

"I'll be proud when he has two Ph. d.'s as I have," Sheldon said as he paid for it, taking the bag.

Amy followed him out of the store and to the small parking lot next door. She had agreed to drive there while Sheldon had agreed to drive back home. "You're not happy for him at all?" she asked, opening the passengers side door.

Sheldon looked at her over the top of the vehicle. He shook his head. "no," he said, as he climbed into the small car.

Amy sighed. It would be difficult to get Sheldon to actually admit he does like Howard as his friend. He was clearly embarrassed by the events that happened on the plane to Texas.

"I must admit, though, it is astonishing to me that an engineer," Sheldon started, looking at Amy. "Of all people, is able enough to even get a Ph. d."

"That's close enough," Amy said. She pointed at the road. "Are you ready?"

Sheldon sat back in the seat, putting on his seat belt, Amy doing the same. "No, but we had a deal," he said. "And I can't back out now."

"Actually you have to back out," Amy said. She pointed at the car in front of them. "If you pull out, you'll hit that car."

Sheldon looked at her, clearly attempting to keep his cool, but he wasn't doing a very good job at it. "I'm a physicist," he said. "I think I know how directions work."

Amy smiled wide at him, showing off her pearly whites. "Just trying to lighten the mood," she said.

"Well, don't," Sheldon said. He looked behind him, out the window to watch. He put the car into reverse, or at least he thought so. As soon as he pushed on the gas, the car shot forward, running into the car in front of them. He instantly backed up, putting the car into park and turning it off. He looked at Amy.

After a moment's silence, Amy spoke up. "This reminds me of a monkey I was working with last week," she started.

"Why do you let me skip work?" Sheldon asked, interrupting her as he did not feel like listening to her story.

"Because you love me," Amy said, opening the door. They both got out to examine the damage.

"Oh, we're fine," Sheldon said as if it were nothing.

"How?" Amy asked. She pointed at the bumper of the other car. "That dent is bigger than my head!"

Sheldon looked up at her. "That's Stuart's car," he said. "And there's no way he would press charges. And my insurance will cover both vehicles, easy."

Amy glared at him. "You got lucky," she said, turning around to alert Stuart.

Sheldon walked around the vehicles, following after her. "Sheldon Cooper does not get lucky," he said.

"No lie there," Amy said.

* * *

Leonard stopped in the apartment building lobby when he saw Sheldon, who appeared to be waiting for just anyone. It was still a bit odd for him to not be living here. Eight long years. Glad it was over, but a part of him still missed living with Sheldon.

Sheldon noticed Leonard was there, turning to him with a big smile on his face. He walked over to the elevator.

"What's going on?" Leonard asked.

"A repair man was here today," Sheldon said. "You and I will be the first to use this elevator in over ten years." He put his index finger out next to the elevator button. "Behold." He pushed the button.

Nothing.

Sheldon waved it away. "I'm not surprised," he said. The two of them started up the stairs. "You're here early."

"Yeah, there was an accident at the university," Leonard said. "Something radioactive related."

"I miss all the excitement when I skip work," Sheldon said disappointingly.

"So, why were we invited here anyways?" Leonard asked as they turned the first corner.

"A thing for Howard," Sheldon said. "Though wouldn't a congratulatory gathering shortly after losing his unborn child be a tad inappropriate?"

"Well, that depends," Leonard said.

"On what?" Sheldon questioned.

"You don't bring up the miscarriage," Leonard said. "This is all about his degree."

"No one threw a party when I got my first Ph. d.," Sheldon said as they turned the second and final corner.

"Not even yourself?" Leonard asked, actually surprised at that fact.

Sheldon put the key in to unlock the door. "There's always a party in my head, Leonard," he said. "I don't need an actual party." He opened the door, walking in, heading straight to the closet located behind the couch.

Leonard looked around. It was different with his things gone, replaced by Amy's. He looked at his old desk, seeing it covered in neuro-biology books and girly magazines. "What happened?" he asked.

"Amy claimed full control over that desk," Sheldon said. "I'm not allowed to touch it." He pulled out the Monopoly box, closing the closet before walking over to the coffee table.

"Whatcha doin'?" Leonard asked, slowly approaching his friend.

Sheldon sat on the floor, opening up the box. "Amy told me to think of something fun we can do tonight," he said. "What's more fun in a large group than a board game?"

Leonard sat down on the chair next to Sheldon. "So you chose Monopoly?" he asked.

"Yes," Sheldon said as he set everything up. "And, considering that our women are not fans of Star Trek as we are, the Klingon edition was out of the question." He looked at Leonard. "And Koothrappali's new friend, Allison, will be joining us. She speaks Klingon, but Rajesh mentioned she spends the whole game correcting the grammar that they use." He shook his head. "And I hate it when people correct things. There is nothing more irritating." He pointed at Leonard's shoes. "Also, you probably got ripped off for those shoe laces. They'll tear within a month." He returned his attention to the game.

The door opened and Howard walked in. "My life is crumbling al around me," he said as he sat down on the couch, leaning against the arm.

Sheldon looked up at him. "Want to play a quick round?" he asked in an attempt to cheer up the engineer. He picked up one of the pieces. "You can even be the dog. You love being the dog."

"Whatever," Howard said with a shrug.

"Not doing well, are you?" Leonard asked as Sheldon started to deal out the property cards for a quicker game.

"Oh, I got Boardwalk!" Sheldon said with a smile on his face.

Howard looked at Leonard, obviously he had been crying earlier or was attempting not to at this very moment. "I lost my kid," he said. "How do you think I'm feeling?"

"Oh, and Park Place!" Sheldon exclaimed like a little kid. "I'm building hotels!"

"How's Bernadette holding up?" Leonard asked.

Howard shrugged again. "She's being strong for the both of us," he said.

Sheldon looked up at Howard once again, noticing this tactic wasn't working. "Would you like a hot beverage?" he asked.

Howard looked at him. He slowly nodded his head. "Yeah," he said.

Sheldon smiled warmly at him as he stood up, heading to the kitchen. "I'm sensing hot cocoa," he said.

"Have you got any of those little marshmallows?" Howard asked.

Sheldon looked at him. "I always have little marshmallows, _Dr. _Wolowitz," he said.

Howard looked at Leonard. "He _does_ have a heart," he said.

The had another guest, the door opening once more, Penny walking in. She didn't look happy as she stomped over to the couch, slamming down as she sat in Sheldon's spot.

Leonard knew what that meant. "So how was the audition?" he asked anyways.

Penny glared at him. "Terrible," she said, leaning forward. "I kept messing up the lines. And when they asked me to improvise, I choked."

"That's terrible," Leonard said. "I'm sorry. Maybe next time."

Penny grinned at him, causing the two nerds to be confused. "Bazinga," she said, getting Sheldon's attention. "I got the part!"

"Penny, that's amazing!" Leonard said, now feeling bad for all the times he doubted her decisions.

Sheldon walked over to them, a mug of hot chocolate in his hands. "I have three things for you, Penny," he said. "One, you knocked over my hotels. Two, you're in my spot. And three, you said Bazinga." He shook his head. "That's mine. You can't say it. Get your own word."

"But I spent half an hour thinking up those five seconds!" Penny complained as she started to get out of his spot.

Sheldon lifted his hand. "Oh, no, no!" he said. "Keep it! Everything has lost it's meaning!" He started for the door. "It's your spot now! Apparently you can do whatever you want!" He went out the door.

"Ok, I know where I went wrong," Penny admitted.

Howard was staring at the closed door. "He took my hot cocoa!" he said, looking back at his friends.

* * *

That evening, they were all seated around the coffee table, Sheldon in the recliner and Penny in his spot, as per his demands. They were awaiting for Raj and Alli to arrive.

"I wanna be the train," Penny said, taking a bite of her piece of cake. She enjoyed the expression that was on Sheldon's face.

"Go ahead," Sheldon forced out with a shrug. "See what I care."

Soon, Raj showed up with Alli, letting her take a seat on the floor before joining her. "Ooh, Monopoly!" he said excitedly.

"Fun for the whole family," Sheldon said mockingly. He leaned forward, putting his hands under the board and then proceeded to flip it over, sending the pieces and money flying. "Oops. Now we can't play." He stood up, walking to his bedroom.

"What's his deal?" Alli asked.

"He hit a car today," Amy answered. "Got a ticket, has to pay for the damage and insurance won't cover it. He's had a hard day." She heard a loud whimper from Sheldon in his room. She stood up, rushing her way there. "It's ok. Amy's here!"

"So these are my friends," Raj said to Alli.

"Thank god you guys are just like me," Alli said with a smile.

Sheldon returned, Amy following behind him. "I'm to understand I acted immaturely," he said. He looked at Howard. "I apologize, Howard," he said. "This is _your_ evening." He bent over, picking something up. He held it out to Howard with a fake smile. "Here, _you _can be the train."

* * *

**Aw, wasn't that precious?!**

**Tbh, Sheldon and Howard is my number one non-canon OTP in the show**

**Yes, higher then Shenny**

**As I have said earlier, more fun in the next chapter**

**Here's some teasers: brownies, making out, and Sheldon in a towel**

**:) Oh, I should tease you more often, this is fun**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long wait for this much anticipated chapter**

**There's not much plot to do this one I just wanted to do it because of a post on Tumblr that made me think of it**

**There's a few moments where something is actually happening but most of it is just, whatever lol**

**But you'll like it :)**

* * *

Penny stuck around later than everyone else to help clean up. Sheldon had retired hours ago-it wasn't even seven yet-after he was irittated just one too many times. But, at least he didn't flip the table before going to bed.

She looked at her watch when there was a knock on the door. Who would visit Sheldon at eleven at night? She threw the plates in her hand away and went to answer the door, seeing-and not a good sight-Kripke on the other side.

"Why, hewwo," Kripke said, enjoying the sight. "We meet again."

Penny had to try her hardest to not just close the door in his face. She nodded her head. "Yeah, weren't expecing me, were you?" she asked. "What do you want?"

"What I want, is a wittle kiss," Kripke said. "But I know I won't get what I want." He lifted a plate of brownies covered in seran wrap. "This is fow Howahd. But I don't know whewe he wives. Can Shewdon give it to him?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure he gets it," Penny said. She reached for the plate.

Kripke pulled it away from her reach. "Are you and Weonard stiw an item?" he asked.

"Very," Penny said, snatching the plate from his grasp and closing the door. That was an interaction she didn't really want to have. Hopefullly it wouldn't stick around in the lobby, waiting for her. She stuck the brownies on the island, grabbing her purse.

Amy walked in, wearing her long night gown, ready for bed. "Well, I'm going to bed," she said. "Leonard texted me asking where you were."

"Didn't notice the time," Penny said, putting hte strap of her purse on her shoulder. "I'm going now."

"Alright," Amy said. "Sleep well, bestie." She smiled at Penny before returning to her bedroom.

Odd. Amy spends her first night in Sheldon's room and yet they still don't share? Penny would never understand this couple.

Penny shook her head. That fact shouldn't have surprised her, though. Sheldon may be changing, but he was still Sheldon. She took her keys out as went out the door, thankfully not running into Kripke again.

* * *

Bernadette pulled her robe on as she exited the bedroom in the middle of the night. She hadn't been sleeping long before she noticed Howard wasn't there. She found him sitting at the counter, drinking some chocolate milk.

He looked at her, noticing she was awake. "Did I wake you?" he asked.

Bernadette shook her head. "It's fine," she said, walking over to him. She put her arms around him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours," Howard said. He placed a hand on hers, holding her to him. "I can't sleep. All I see when I close my eyes, is an image of a baby I never got to see." He looked at her. "And it's killing me."

Bernadette knew how he was feeling. "We could always try again," she said.

"But what if you miscarry again?" Howard asked, turning around to look at her. "When it happens once, you don't rule it out."

Bernadette pulled him in for a hug. "Howie, everything will be ok," she assured him.

Howard hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. "This sucks, Bernie," he said.

"I know it does," Bernadette said, rubbing his back in a comforting manner. "But we can't dwell on it. We'll have to move on one day."

Howard nodded against her. "I'll try," he said.

Bernadette pulled away, put didn't let go of his hands. "Are you going to be coming back to bed now?" she asked.

Howard quickly wiped his eyes, giving her a smile. He nodded his head. "Yeah, he said, standing up.

"We'll be ok, Howie," Bernadette assured him. "If we can survive this, surely we can survive anything."

* * *

Sheldon entered the kitchen the next morning, hanging up the phone. "The university will be remaining closed until further notice," he informed Amy, who was making breakfast. "However, we'll still get paid." He put the phone down.

Amy gestured to the island. "Were those brownies here last night?" she asked, putting the knife she was cutting the fruit with down.

Sheldon looked at the brownies. "I don't recall seeing any brownies," he said. "Perhaps Penny or maybe even Bernadette brought them."

Amy turned around, putting the fruit on two plates. "I guess it's ours," she said, turning around, seeing Sheldon had already eaten half of one. "Sheldon, you'll ruin your breakfast!"

Sheldon shrugged. "They're rather nummy, though," he said. He held it out to her for her to try.

Amy sighed, putting the plates down. She just couldn't say no to Sheldon. She took the brownie before taking a bite of it. After swallowing, she said, "That's amazing."

Sheldon grabbed his plate and the plate of brownies, walking over to the couch with Amy behind him. "The best I have ever tasted," he said. "Right under my meemaw's brownies."

"So what will we do today?" Amy asked as they sat down on the couch in sync. "No, work, all play?"

Sheldon looked at her, grabbing another brownie from the plate. They were irresistible. He shook his head. "I can still do my work from home," he said.

Amy didn't like that. "You're no fun," she said, grabbing another brownie herself.

"I've been neglecting my work these last few weeks," Sheldon explained, turning his head to look at her once again. "I can't afford to simply do nothing with you and let the day waste away."

Amy was a little offended, but instead she giggled. "Whatever," she said.

"What on Earth is so funny?" Sheldon asked.

Amy shook her head, still laughing. "I don't know," she said.

Sheldon stared at her as she laughed like a maniac for a moment in silence. Though, it wasn't long before he started laughing, joining her in her fit.

* * *

Leonard and Penny walked through the grocery store, Penny getting what they needed while Leonard just followed behind like a puppy, playing Candy Crush on his phone.

"We nveer talk anymore," Penny said.

"Sure, we do," Leonard said as they stopped at the fruit section, not looking up from his phone.

"No, we converse," Penny corrected, grabbing a melon from the stack. "Like normal people. We haven't really had a real _talk_ in a while."

Leonard locked his phone, putting it in his pocket. "Well, what do you want to talk about?" he asked, grabbing a bag for Penny.

"I don't know," Penny said, putting down the melon and grabbing another one. She looked at Leonard. "How's work?"

"The university is closed due to radiation leakage," Leonard said. "I told you this already,"

Penny nodded her head. "Oh, right," she said, putting the melon into the bag Leonard held. "That's why you're here with me."

Leonard leaned against the cart as he pushed it in the direction Penny was going. "Where are we going with this?" he asked.

Penny looked at him. "Not the dairy section, I can tell you that," she said with a smile before looking forward again.

"No, I mean with us," Leonard said.

Penny looked at him again. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"We just bought a house together," Leonard said. "A _house_, Penny. Two people don't live in a house. A house is for... families."

Penny stopped, grabbing onto the cart to stop Leonard. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked.

"No," Leonard said. "I'm saying: if not now... when?"

Penny was quiet. "I don't know," she said.

"Will we ever get married?" Leonard asked.

Penny could tell he was growing worried about their relationship. She walked to him, putting her arms around his shoulders. "Leonard, I love you," she said. "More than anyone in this world will actually believe. And I _can_ actually see us getting married one day." She smiled at him. "Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Hofstadter."

"Actually, it'll be _Dr._ and Mrs. Leonard Hofstadter," Leonard corrected. "The couple of the century."

Penny kissed his cheek. "See, these talks can be nice," she said, lowering her arms before continuing on.

Leonard followed after her, pushing the cart. He liked to believe that marriage to Penny was a reality, but at the rate they were moving, it was barely even a possibility. And he hoped one day she would actually be ready before it was too late.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy sat on the couch still, perhaps two or three hours later, leaned back, staring out at the ceiling as if they were out at night laying on the grass, star gazing together.

"It's so hot in here," Amy said, exasperated.

Sheldon turned his head to look at her. "You're wearing too many layers," he said. "Besides, a wool cardigan is the wrong choice for the weather in Pasadena this time of year."

Amy smiled at him. "You're right," she said. She sat up, quickly taking off the gray cardigan. She tossed it behind her, leaning against the back of the couch, looking at Sheldon seductively. "Is that better?" she asked with a stifled giggle.

Sheldon wasn't at good fighting the urge to laugh. He grabbed onto his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. "Oh, those brownies were amazing," he said. He leaned forward, reaching for the plate, but stopped, seeing it was now empty. "Oh, we're all out," he said with a whimper.

Amy picked up the plate and turned it upside down attempting to make more brownies, but only causing a mess of crumbs in the floor. "You're right again," she said with a whine of her own. She dropped the plate, looking at Sheldon.

"It's _very_ hot in here," Sheldon said. He pointed behind him at the window. "My theory is, it's the position of the sun today. Shall I change that?"

"You can move the sun?!" Amy asked, amazed.

Sheldon laughed, shaking his head. "Don't be silly," he said, standing up as best he could. He staggered over to the window, closing the curtain. He looked at Amy, gesturing his hands toward it. "Ta-da!"

"You turned the whole building around!" Amy exclaimed.

Sheldon stopped to think about what she said then nodded. "Yeah," he said, walking to the back of the couch. He climbed over it, returning to his spot. "I have an idea."

"Do you?" Amy asked, trailing a finger up and down his long skinny arm.

"WE should make out," Sheldon said.

"Yeah?" Amy asked, stopping her hand.

Sheldon leaned closer to her, speaking at a whisper. "In my spot," he said, before letting out a small laugh as if he was breaking the law.

"You rebel," Amy said. She grabbed onto his Flash t-shirt, forcing their bodies together in a powerful kiss, climbing into his lap.

There was a knock on the door, causing them to laugh into each other's lips. "Come in," Sheldon said, his voice muffled by Amy's closeness.

"This will only take a little while," Penny said as she walked in, not taking notice of the two of them as she walked into the kitchen. She stopped, looking at them. "Oh, sorry. I can come back." She started towards the door.

"No!" Sheldon yelled as he stood up, practically pushing Amy off of him, but she was too high and oblivious about it to even care. He made his way over to Penny, leaning on Amy's desk, one arm propped on his back. "What do ya want?" eh asked.

His accent normally came out when he was sarcastic or drunk. "Are you drunk?" Penny asked since he wasn't sarcastic often.

"Hell, no!" Sheldon exclaimed, straightening up and lowering his arms. "You know how I feel about alcohol!" He turned around, heading towards the bathroom. He pulled both layers of shirts he was wearing, tossing them to Amy. "I'm gonna take a cold shower. This heat just won't go away." He winked at Amy before he disappeared into the bathroom.

Penny was confused. She looked at Amy, who was smelling the material of the shirts. That wasn't that odd, she once marked her territory. "What the hell was that?" she demanded.

Amy smiled at her. "Sheldon is a _passionate_ kisser," she said, not even answering the blonde's question.

Penny decided to dismiss it. "I'm here to get Howard's brownies," she said. "Kripke brought them and I forgot them and left them here."

Amy picked up a plate off the floor. "You mean_ these _brownies?" she asked with a guilty smile.

That was the moment Penny realized what was in those brownies. They weren't drunk, they were high. "Oh, no," she said.

Amy grew worried, dropping the plate. "What?" she asked.

Penny walked to the couch, sitting down next to Amy. "I think there was weed in those brownies," she said.

"I don't understand," Amy said with a shake of her head.

Sheldon walked back in, his hair and body wet, a white towel wrapped around his waist. "I broke the shower," he said, smiling at the two as if he had just won a prize.

Penny looked away, keeping her attention on Amy. "Holy crap on a cracker," she said.

Amy, however, was smiling wider than Penny had ever thought possible. "I'll help!" she said.

"No," Penny said standing up. She walked away from the couch and turned around, looking at Sheldon. She pointed at his spot. "Sit," she ordered.

Sheldon looked like he was about to protest, but stopped, lowering his head. He walked slowly over to the couch, sitting down.

"You guys are high," Penny said bluntly.

Apparently Sheldon didn't doubt her judgement. "I promised my mommy I wouldn't do drugs!" he said. "I failed my mommy!"

"No, you didn't know!" Penny said. "No one knew. It's not your fault. All you need to do is just sit there and wait for it to wear off. And never, I repeat, _never_ tell Leonard this happened." She would be blamed for leaving the brownies.

Amy lifted three fingers. "Scouts honor," she promised.

"Oh, please," Sheldon said with a scoff. HE looked at Amy. "You were never a scout." He looked at Penny. "I once considered joining the boy scouts, but, apart from me being busy with high school at the time, I quickly changed my mind as soon as I found out we would be out in nature."

"Great!" Penny said sarcastically. "Is it safe to leave you two alone?"

Amy looked at Sheldon's towel. "Oh, yeah," she said.

Sheldon looked at her, cocking his head. He followed her gaze and attempted to cover himself up even more with his hands. "Off limits!" he said, causing Amy to look away.

"Yeah, I think you'll be fine," Penny said, waving her arm. "Call me if you need anything." She left the apartment, running into Leonard outside. She closed the door.

"What was taking so long?" Leonard asked. "And where are the brownies?"

Penny shook her head. "I was mistaken," she said, rushing down the stairs, Leonard following behind her.

* * *

Howard and RAj walked into the comic book store together, Raj going on a rant about some comic book superhero while Howard just stood there, attempting to listen to him.

"All I'm saying is this," Raj started. "Bruce Banner's life would be so much easier if he would just go to anger management classes." He looked at Howard after his silence. "Are you even listening to me?"

Howard nodded his head. "Yeah," he said, looking at the comic books.

"Are you sure?" Raj asked.

Howard looked at him. "Yes," he said bitterly. He realized his out burst and took a breath. "Sorry. These last few days hasn't been easy. I shouldn't take it out on you."

"It's ok," Raj said. "Maybe we should do something. Get your mind off things."

"But we_ are_ doing something," Howard said, movingt o another part of the store.

Raj followed after him. "No, I mean something special," he said. "Like a double date."

"That actually doesn't sound so bad," Howard said. HE looked at Raj. Alli is like us. She works with microbiology like Bernadette and she's nerd just like you and me. We're bound to get along. Speaking of which, how are things between you two?"

"Deathly slow," Raj said. "But, I can't complain. It's not often I run into someone who can stand to go out with me on more than two dates."

"How slow?" Howard asked. "Leonard slow or Sheldon slow?"

"Leonard slow," Raj said. "Only Sheldon is Sheldon slow. Except, kissing hasn't even come up yet."

"You haven't kissed her?" Howard asked.

"I don't want to appear needy," Raj said.

"But you_ are _needy," Howard siad.

"But I don't want to appear it," Raj said.

"You are one strange man," Howard said as he turned to look through the comic books once again.

Raj was silent for a moment as he stood beside his friend. "How are you holding up?" he asked.

Howard shrugged. "It gets easier as the time goes by," he said.

"Do you want a hug?" Raj asked.

"No," Howard said, looking at Raj. He shrugged once again, growing quieter. "Maybe later."

* * *

Sheldon opened his eyes. He wasn't aware of the current time, but considering how dark it was it was sometime in the middle of the night. He looked down, noticing that Amy was asleep, layinng on his lap, but he didn't mind. He looked at his watch, attempting to see it in the dark. What he could make out was that it was nearly two in the morning.

His eyes went wide at what he saw out of his peripheral vision. He lowered his arm and looked around at the mess he and Amy had made through out the day. He was disappointed in himself. He lifted Amy's head, standing up, and lowering her once again, careful not to wake her. He picked up a few empty bags of potato chips.

Junk food. The craving of a 'pot head' as Amy had mentioned to him previously in the day.

"Has it worn off?" Amy asked groggily, fixing the glasses on her face.

"I suppose," Sheldon said, walking over to the trash can. "I no longer feel the need to laugh at everything."

Amy sat up. "Can't we do this in the morning?" she asked, referring to his cleaning. She stood up off the couch.

Sheldon shook his head. "No," he said, returning to the mess closest to the couch, determined to get that clean first. "I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing this is twenty feet away from my person."

"Whatever," Amy said with a shrug. "I'm going to bed."

Sheldon looked at her with a smile on his face. "Good night, Amy," he said happily.

"Night, Sheldon," Amy said, giving him a quick kiss. It would have been longer had she not been so tired. She shuffled her way to the hallway and then to her room.

Sheldon shook his head as he picked up the garbage. "I am never eating strange brownies again," he said. "No matter how well they taste." He turned around, fixing the towel he still wore around his waist.

* * *

**It was short, but nice wasn't it?**

**I have a few ideas, but I think the next chapter will be a little slow**

**Putting the ideas together is the hard part**

**Review, and leave any helpful tips and suggestions if you have any**

**Much love to you all**


	10. Chapter 10

**A quick thank you for all of the reviews (except for one that wasn't really a hater just someone that didn't know what they were talking about. I already ranted about it on Tumblr no need to do it again)**

**Look 10 chapters :) yay!**

**This one is very dear to me so be kind to it**

* * *

Leonard walked into Sheldon and Amy's apartment, making note to one day mention how they should learn not to let just anyone in. Sheldon should have known better than that, but that's the way their apartment had always been. He stopped, seeing the genius staring at the white board, scribbled with what could only be described as nonesense.

"I brought your mail," Leonard said, holding out the envelopes in his hand.

Sheldon looked at him with a smile on his face. "Oh, thank you, Leonard," he said, taking the mail. "You know, between you and Amy, I barely ever have to even leave home apart from work and comic book day." He walked to the desk, going through the mail.

"In a good mood?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon looked at his friend. "Oh, _very_," he said, putting the mail down."You remember the time I hit Stuart's parked car and he treated me like... oh, what's the word?"

"Shit?" Leonard asked, looking at the board.

"No need to be so vulgar, but yes," Sheldon said. "I have been informed that if I drive at any point between now and June of 2016, I could be facing up to five years in jail."

Leonard looked at him, confused. He had a criminal record, but somehow he was happy about it? "How is that_ good _news?" he asked.

"Well, now no one can make me drive," Sheldon said, still wearing the same smile. "Life is good, Leonard. Real good."

Leonard pointed at the board in front of him, deciding now was a good time to ask about it. "What's this?" he asked.

Sheldon looked at the board, his smile vanishing. "Oh, that," he said, walking over to Leonard, standing closer to the board. "Last night, it hit me." He turned around, looking at Leonard. "Where is my relationship with Amy going?"

"Not the bedroom without you having a panic attack," Leonard said.

Sheldon shook his head. "Exactly," he said. "And that is just it. Amy wants me in a very intimate way. And I'm not ready for that yet."

"You can see it happening one day, though," Leonard reminded him.

"But no one knows when that day is," Sheldon said. "Neither do I. Which I thought of." He picked up the eraser. "I told my mother I would try and wait until I'm married to make her proud. Of course, I only said that because, at the time, hand-holding, let alone coitus, was repulsive to me."

"Is there a point to this?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon pointed at the board. "I've done some calculating," he said. "And the result states that Amy and I will be married in a year's time."

Leonard looked past Sheldon and at the board once again. "I don't get it," he said, looking back at Sheldon.

Sheldon shook his head. "I expected more from you, Leonard," he said. He turned around, erasing the board. "You and Penny have to help me out."

"With _what_?" Leonard asked, not hearing any explanations.

Sheldon finished erasing the board, sighing as he looked at Leonard once again. "Try to keep up, Leonard," he said. "I believe it's time for me to propose to Amy."

Even _Sheldon_ was ready for marriage and yet Penny still wanted to avoid the subject?

"What?" Leonard asked, making sure he heard Sheldon correctly.

"What is wrong with you today?" Sheldon asked. "I'm relying on the two of you to put this together. But don't do anything insane." He started to put the board away.

"You need a ring," Leonard said.

Sheldon looked at Leonard. "If the Internet is correct, I'll be needing _much _more than just a ring," he said.

He googled how to propose to someone? "Sheldon, _you're_ supposed to be planning this," Leonard said.

Sheldon put the board away before walking over to Leonard. "What are you saying?" he asked. "Just because Penny doesn't want to be eternally yoked to you, you think Amy and I don't deserve such happiness?"

_Kinda_, Leonard thought. "No," he said instead. "I'm saying, I'm not going to help you if you're making us do all the heavy lifting. This is your decision. You get the ring. You make the dinner plans. And, yes, _you_ even have to ask her."

"You can't do all of that_ for_ me?" Sheldon asked, once again not understanding how a real relationship works.

Leonard decided to go a different way. "You have a year, Sheldon," he said. "And since most people are engaged for about six months before they get married, that leaves you six months to plan out the proposal."

An alarm from a clock started to go off in another room.

"Amy will be waking soon," Sheldon said. "Don't tell Penny yet. She's bound to tell Amy."

"Tell me what?" Amy asked, walking in.

"Oh, drat," Sheldon said, turning to face his girlfriend.

Leonard chimed in, knowing Sheldon wouldn't be comfortable lying to her. "He's gonna propose to you," he said with a smile, getting a glare from Sheldon.

Amy let out a small chuckle. "It's ok, Sheldon, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said. "Just don't let Leonard joke around with marriage." She walked to the kitchen to get some coffee.

She assumed it was a joke? Did she think it not possible?

"How do you know he's not serious?" Sheldon asked.

Amy looked at him with a knowing expression before looking away. "I just know," she said.

"Got your back, Shelly," Leonard said, patting Sheldon on the back. He walked over to the couch.

Sheldon looked at Amy, walking over to her. "Good morning, Amy," he said.

"You can kiss her, Sheldon," Leonard said, sensing Sheldon's hesitation. "We know you do it. You don't have to hide it from your friends."

Sheldon looked behind him at Leonard then back at Amy, staring at her.

"_Now_ you're insecure?" Amy asked, referring to the previous day where he didn't even care who else was in the room.

"I'm not insecure, I'm sober," Sheldon said. "And self-conscious."

Amy groaned, picking up a scone from the plate on the counter. "Morning, Sheldon," she said. "You, too, Leonard."

"Morning," Leonard said in return, flipping through the channels.

"If you want someone insecure with their relationship," Sheldon started, pointing at Leonard. "He's sitting right there."

"Why _is_ he here?" Amy asked.

"He can't go to work," Sheldon said. "And Penny is busy filming her part in the movie. So we get Leonard duty today."

"I'm going out," Amy said, clearly not wanting to spend the day with Leonard. She turned, returning to her bedroom.

Sheldon shrugged, looking at Leonard as he walked over to the couch. "Looks like it's just me and you today, ol' buddy," he said, sitting down.

"Actually, I'm just killing time," Leonard said, putting the remote down. "Me and Howard are going to Santa Monica today."

"What's in Santa Monica?" Sheldon asked.

"Well, bars I've never been to before, a pier," Leonard started. He looked at Sheldon. "And I can't stress this enough, _not you_."

"But you're _my_ friend," Sheldon said as if he had claimed dibs on Leonard.

"Yes, but I'm also Howard's friend," Leonard said. "We would have invited you, but... we didn't want to." He looked back at the tv.

"Oh, alright then," Sheldon said, standing up. "I suppose I'll be spending today alone."

"It'll be paradise for you," Leonard said, pulling out his phone when he got a text.

"I would call it paradise," Sheldon mumbled, walking away form the couch.

Leonard turned the tv off. "Howard wants me to go early," he said. "He's got two tickets to an amusement park." He looked at Sheldon, standing up. "Good luck with Amy."

Sheldon looked at him. "I don't believe in luck," he said sourly.

"Doesn't matter," Leonard said with a shrug. "You'll need it. I'll see you later." He waved at Sheldon as he left the apartment.

Sheldon looked around. "This is insane," he said aloud to himself. "I'll be alone today, so what.. I should be rejoicing. I _love _being alone." He sat down, not caring he wasn't at his spot. "What I _hate_ is being lonely."

Amy walked in, now wearing her every day clothes. "Sheldon, you bought the wrong soap," she said, scratching at the palm of her hand. "You know I'm allergic."

Sheldon stood up, looking at her. "I didn't buy any soap," he said with a shake of his head. "That's your responsibility. It even says so in the Roommate Agreement."

"Sheldon, you came home with it just two days ago," Amy said, still itching at her skin.

"You're mistaken," Sheldon said.

Amy lowered her arms. "I'm mistaken?" she asked.

Sheldon nodded his head, unsure of what she was so upset about. "I only bought soap when Leonard was sick," he said. "And you haven't been sick since you moved in. If any soup has been purchased, it was by you."

Amy crossed her arms. "Sheldon, you know better," she said. "Just admit it was you and apologize for the way you're acting."

"I've done nothing wrong," Sheldon said, walking to the kitchen.

Amy turned to face him. "Try again, Sheldon," she said.

Sheldon looked at her. "I'm sorry you're allergic to the soap," he said.

Amy shook her head. She would train him to apologize the first time one of these days. "You can do better than that," she said.

"This conversation is ridiculous," Sheldon said. "Arguing over hand soap? What are we? Leonard and Penny?"

"Then clearly there's something else bothering you," Amy said. "Or else you wouldn't be so hell-bent defendant about it."

"Alright," Sheldon said, walking over to her. He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Amy hadn't expected that. She never expected something like that to ever come out of his mouth. She remained silent, lowering her arms. Still, she couldn't find the right words to say.

"It's over," she blurted out.

"What?" Sheldon asked, though he knew exactly what she meant.

"I'm breaking up with you," Amy said. She stood there, staring at him for a moment before turning around. She left the apartment without taking a second look back.

Sheldon stared at the closed door, torn. He wasn't sure what had just happened or what he was to do about it. Should he go after her just like the love interest in all those romantic comedy films Amy loved so much? Or was he to wait for her return?

He walked to the door and opened it, hoping to see her on the other side, waiting on him as if this was a test of his love for her. Instead, she was gone. He swallowed the knot in his throat, trying to process this. He slowly closed the door, looking around at the suddenly _very_ empty apartment.

* * *

Leonard and Howard walked through the amusement park entrance, only to be instantly disappointed. Thinking they were going to some Six Flags-like place, they ended up going to an amusement park designed for small children.

"Quick, pretend we have kids on a ride," Howard said. "My old creepy I could live with, this creepy I couldn't."

"You didn't happen to look at the pamphlet?" Leonard asked as they turned back around.

"The tickets were six dollars!" Howard said. "I just thought it was a great deal."

"Do we have time to go anywhere else?" Leonard asked. "This was kinda out of the way. We're not even in Santa Monica anymore."

"Well, we can get a cd and rock out to oldies on the drive back," Howard suggested.

"Not a Neil Diamond fan, Howard," Leonard said as they approached Howard's car.

"That's not my fault," Howard said. "I also have some Led Zepplin."

"Not a fan of them, either," Leonard said.

Howard opened the door. "I've just found out why we never hang out, just the two of us," he said.

"Why's that?" Leonard asked.

"Because you're no fun!" Howard said, attempting to open the door. "Oh, crap."

"Did you lock us out?" Leonard asked.

"Kinda," Howard said with a guilty expression. "The only person available to help us out is Raj."

Leonard sighed. "Call him," he said, leaning against the car.

Howard got out his phone. "Oh, he might be out with Alli, though," he said.

"Oh, great," Leonard said sarcastically. "I'm stuck at a children's amusement park with _you_!"

"I resent that," Howard said. "How many people do you know?"

Leonard looked at him. "Just call Raj," he said.

"Fine," Howard said, going through his contacts. "No need to get snappy at me." He put the phone to his ear. "Hey, Raj." He paused. "Oh, hi, Alli. Is Raj there?" Leonard looked at him. "No? Are you busy?"

Leonard was confused. "Where's Raj?" he asked.

Howard lifted his hand to silence Leonard. "Yeah, can you come get us?" he asked. "Awesome. We're at a children's amusement park outside Santa Monica. _Don't_ ask."

* * *

Several hours and one bottle of wine later, and Amy was in Penny's kitchen, drinking another glass of wine from a new bottle. And Penny had only been home for two of those three hours.

"Ready to talk about it now?" Penny asked.

Amy shook her head. "Not drunk enough," she said.

"No, I think you're _too_ drunk," Penny said, leaning on the table they sat at. "Talk to me, Amy."

"Alright," Amy said, putting the glass down. "Sheldon and I broke up."

Penny was surprised by that. Their relationship had been going so well. "What? Why?" she exclaimed. "Please tell me it wasn't over something stupid."

"It started out that way," Amy said, moving her finger along the rim of the glass, staring at the dark violet liquid inside. "WE were arguing over soap," she told Penny. "_Soap_! Of all things! Then, out of the blue, he told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, so I broke it off."

Penny was quiet. She just didn't understand. That's what Amy had been wanting for years now, wasn't it? "That rat bastard," she said sarcastically.

"It's not like that," Amy said. "He did nothing wrong. I don't know what happened. I guess I just panicked. He's bound to show up with the Breakup Agreement."

"He knows you're here?" Penny asked.

"Where else would I have gone?" Amy asked, picking up the glass.

Penny quickly took it away form her. "Oh, I think you've had enough," she said.

There were three knocks on the door followed by, "Amy and Penny."

"Oh, god," Amy said, dreading talking to Sheldon.

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Amy and Penny."

"Make him go away," Amy pleaded at a whisper.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

"Amy and Penny," Sheldon said a last time. "I can hear you in there, Amy. You can't pretend you aren't."

Penny gave Amy an apologetic smile. "Come in, Sheldon," she said.

Sheldon opened the door and walked in, his iPad in hand. "Are you done crying?" he asked as he closed the door.

"Are you?" Amy asked in return.

"I don't cry," Sheldon said.

"Oh, please," Amy said with a roll of her eyes.

Penny stood up. "I'll leave you two alone," she said, going into the living room.

Sheldon sat down at the table, making a face. "I don't like this spot," he said. "Trade with me."

Amy shook her head. "We're not dating anymore," she said. "I don't have to listen to you."

"About that," Sheldon said, shifting in the seat, trying to get comfortable. "How confident are you in the breakup?"

Amy didn't want to answer that question. "Pass," she said.

"Alright," Sheldon said with a nod. He put the iPad down in front of her. "Are you able to sign evne in your intoxicated state?"

"Yes," Amy said, scrolling past all the unnecessary words.

"If I may ask," Sheldon started.

"I'd rather you didn't," Amy interjected.

"I'm going to anyways," Sheldon said despite her protest. "We have made some unimaginable progress in this relationship. Not only are we kissing now, we're even spooning. In bed!"

Amy looked up at him. "Sheldon, what's your point?" she asked.

"My point is this," Sheldon continued. "I have spent so much time with you. So much that I now _enjoy_ touching you. I'll even drink after you. You have molded me into the perfect boyfriend."

"The perfect boyfriend?" Amy echoed, standing up in a rage.

Sheldon stood up, glad to get out of that seat. "I _am_ your ideal boyfriend, am I not?" he asked.

"Yes, but that doesn't make you perfect," Amy said.

Sheldon shrugged. "Agree to disagree," he said.

Sometimes that ego of his really got to her. "What's your question, Sheldon?" she asked.

"Why did you break up with me?" Sheldon asked, actually sounding hurt.

Amy paused. She herself didn't even know the answer to that question. "I got scared," she said.

"How do you think I felt?" Sheldon asked, sitting back down. He immediately stood up, walking away from the table. "This relationship is moving so fast."

"Fast?" Amy asked. "It took you nearly four years to be comfortable kissing me."

"But no one has ever ridiculed you for staying with me," Sheldon said. "AT the same time, everyone questioned why I kept you around."

"Do you honestly think it's been easy for me?" Amy asked, offended by what he thought was truth. "You don't know how many times Penny and Bernadette attempted to get me away from you for my own good."

"What do you mean?" Sheldon asked.

"It's hard to love you, Sheldon," Amy said. "It's hard to even _talk_ to you."

"Do you not enjoy my presence?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, of course, I do," Amy said. "It's just hard to tolerate how you treat me sometimes."

Sheldon nodded his head. "I think understand," he said. "And the real reason why I've come here is to apologize and ask for your forgiveness. And on top of that, hope you'll take me back."

"There's nothing to forgive, Sheldon," Amy said. "I'm sorry for freaking out."

"You're forgiven," Sheldon said.

Amy should have known he would say that. He wasn't quite as humble as she was. "Did you mean what you said?" she asked. "About spending the rest of your life with me?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Amy," Sheldon said with a shake of his head.

Amy nodded. "Then I accept," she said.

"Oh, you didn't have a choice," Sheldon said. "Also, all you have done today has rendered the Relationship Agreement void due to section V, paragraph nine: A falsified breakup dissolves all clauses and terminates the agreement."

"That's in there?!" Amy asked.

Sheldon nodded his head once. "Didn't you read it?" he asked.

"I skimmed through it," Amy admitted. "But had I known that was in there, I would have panicked and broke up with you a long time ago."

"It was only effective after we were dating for two years," Sheldon said. "So not too long ago."

"So does this mean we need a new agreement?" Amy asked.

"We would need separate lawyers for that," Sheldon said. "But, if that's what you want, sure, we can do it."

"What other choice is there?" Amy asked.

"Well, it means that, with the exception of coitus, you are free to do as you please," Sheldon said.

Amy's face lit up. "Does this mean second base?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm not sure what baseball has to do with anything," Sheldon started. "But I suppose. It's not coitus."

"No, no, it is not," Amy said.

"Also, since we're no longer broken up, I'll be going to Texas next week," Sheldon said. "I'll be helping Tanya move over here and I want you to join me."

That came out of nowhere. "Why?" Amy asked.

"You have already met my mother," Sheldon said. "However, that was before we started dating. And since we're to be married one day, I want my whole family to know you and know that I'll be marrying a good girl."

"Oh, my god," they heard Penny exclaim on the other side of the door.

"Sorry about that," Amy said.

"Don't be," Sheldon said. "I knew she was eavesdropping. I could hear her breathing on the door."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Amy asked.

"Would she have moved?" Sheldon asked.

"No, I wouldn't have," Penny said.

"I rest my case," Sheldon said.

* * *

**Ooh, Amy get's to meet Sheldon's family!**

**And Tanya shall return! And she'll become more important**

**Anything you wanna see happen in Texas? It's still a few chapters away, I'll even mention you**

**As always, review, but try to get the point and avoid leaving useless reviews that has only one thing that makes sense in it**

**In fact, say you hate my fic. I'll be fine with that! Just don't call them annoying and domineering (even though that's what Penny is, the way they said it was rude)**

**And I said I wouldn't rant, ugh**

**later**


	11. Chapter 11

**I never thank you guys enough for all the nice reviews. It really does mean a lot and it always makes me feel so much better**

**So thank you**

**I'm introducing new characters that I thought up the other day**

**I think you'll like them, especially the small one**

**Two chapters from Texas! Yay!**

* * *

Leonard and Howard were in the small cafeteria at the amusement park, grabbing a small snack as they waited for Alli to arrive to help them out.

"We never hang out," Howard said, ignoring his previous statement as to why there was a reason for that. "Just you and me."

"I'm not talking to you," Leonard said without looking up from his food.

"Alright, I made a mistake," Howard said admittedly.

Leonard looked at him in disbelief. "_A _mistake?" he asked.

"Fine, two mistakes," Howard corrected."How many times do I have to apologize? You can't be mad at me forever."

Leonard nodded his head. "You're right," he said. "I'm not Sheldon. Forgive and forget. It's ok. You didn't mean to trap us here."

"Thank you," Howard said.

"When will Alli be here?" Leonard asked, pushing his unfinished food away.

Howard looked at his watch to check the time. "In about ten minutes," he said, looking back at Leonard.

"Where was Raj anyway?" Leonard asked.

"She wouldn't say," Howard said with a shrug. "My guess is, either she's locked him away in her basement-assuming she has one-or he's busy planning yet another one of his popular murder mystery parties."

"I'd prefer the first one," Leonard said, speaking for everyone had they been there.

Alli walked up, arriving earlier than expected and finding them rather quickly. "Alright, which one of you was the dumb-ass?" she asked, stopping at the table.

Howard slowly lifted his arm, stating he was the one. "Watch you language," he said quietly, lowering his arm and standing up. "There are children present."

"Oh, please, my six year-old nephew knows more words than you do," Alli said.

Leonard stood up. "Thanks again," he said as they made their way to Howard's car. "It really means a lot."

"It's no trouble, really," Alli said. "To be honest, Raj _made_ me do this, pretending he was off doing something else."

"So he's avoiding us?" Howard asked.

"No, he's making me spend time with you," Alli said. "To get me to like you guys more and vice versa. And I guess two hours in traffic of LA is a great way to do that."

"Oh, no, you're one of those easily agitated drivers, aren't you?" Howard asked, worried.

"I'm not proud of it," Alli said as they stopped at Howard's car. "So this is it?"

"Let's hope you can get it unlocked," Howard said. "Two hours in road rage with you doesn't sound too pleasant."

Alli pointed behind Leonard. "Can you hand me that rock?" she asked.

Leonard turned around, picking it up and handing it to Alli. "A microbiologist thing?" he asked.

"No, a girl whose brother used to be a car thief thing," Alli said before throwing the rock at the back window, smashing the glass.

"My car!" Howard cried, running to his injured vehicle. "What have you done?!"

"I unlocked your car," Alli said. "You're welcome." She turned around, walking away.

Howard looked at Leonard. "I don't like her," he said through gritted teeth.

Leonard was grinning. "I don't know," he said. "I kinda do."

Howard pointed at the damage done to his car. "She's paying for that," he said.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy walked into the apartment after a v_ery _lengthy car ride back from Leonard and Penny's house. It was only about fifteen and a half minutes, but it felt like hours with Amy driving, going on about their resent engagement.

"Will you at least get a ring?" Amy asked, closing the door.

"Of course I will!" Sheldon said, looking back at her. "Just because it was a spur of the moment, doesn't mean I won't still make it special for you."

"You're right," Amy said. "I shouldn't think like that of you. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Sheldon said appreciatively. He started to walk towards his bedroom. "Now I have to start laundry night thirty minutes late." He disappeared into the room. "See what you've done, Amy?!"

Amy couldn't help but smile as her now fiance spoke. She sat down on the couch, looking around the apartment, trying to imagine how the following year would be for the two of them before they were actually married. _If_ they got married.

It wasn't that she doubted Sheldon's love, she knew that was genuine. It just never seemed like Sheldon would be open to something such as marriage. She always thought he viewed it as unnecessary bonding between two people. Apparently she was mistaken and remained hopeful.

Sheldon soon returned with a white laundry basket with dirty clothes inside and some detergent. "You're welcome to join me," he said.

"Oh, boy!" Amy exclaimed as she stood up.

Sheldon stared at her, as if he were examining her motives. "Sarcasm?" he asked.

"Not for being with you per se," Amy said with a shrug. "For being with you during laundry night."

"Are you coming or not?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm coming," amy said, following him out the door and down the stairs. "You know apart from getting _engaged_-" She beamed at Sheldon as she spoke. "-today has been rather quiet."

"I don't believe you have right to complain," Sheldon said as they turned the corner, going down the next flight of stairs. "You left me alone in the apartment, heartbroken and confused, forcing me to go after you and propose six months earlier than planned." He looked behind him at Amy. "If anyone has the right to complain about the events of today, it's me." He looked forward once again.

Amy couldn't blame him. "We should watch something tonight," she said.

"Oh, please be more specific," Sheldon said. "Do you mean television, each other, or even the chance that we might watch paint dry?"

Amy sighed. "The television," she said.

"Excellent choice," Sheldon said as they turned the last corner. "Now would that be movies, tv shows, or perhaps foreign made shorts?"

"God, Sheldon, it doesn't matter," Amy said, slightly irritated at this point.

Sheldon stopped before they could get off the stairs to the lobby. "Oh, no," he said.

"What is it?" Amy asked, unable to see around Sheldon.

"_Boxes,_" Sheldon replied as if they were ancient cursed artifacts sent here to destroy mankind.

"What do you mean boxes?" Amy asked.

"The new neighbors are here," Sheldon said, stepping off the stairs and to the side, letting Amy enter the lobby.

"So?" Amy asked. "How does this pertain to us?"

Sheldon looked at her, shocked. "How does this-" he stared. "How does this _not_ pertain to us? Seven years ago, when Penny moved in, our lives changed forever because Leonard decided to say 'hello'. What if it happens again?"

"Had Leonard not said hello to Penny, we wouldn't be where we are today," Amy said.

"Leonard would still be my roommate," Sheldon started. "Penny would still be living in 4B, doing what she has always done, only, not only would we not know about it, we wouldn't care. And I have no problem with that."

"But we wouldn't have met," Amy said.

"Oh, quite the contrary," Sheldon said. "You would have worked at CalTech anyways. So our meeting would still happen, only differently. We would only be acquaintances at the most, but aware of each other we will be."

"I don't like that universe," Amy said with a shake of her head.

Sheldon continued to the stairs to the laundry. "Neither do I," he said. "To a certain extent, of course."

"We're not gonna say hi?" Amy asked.

Sheldon stopped, looking back at her. "Did you not hear a word I said?" he asked. "That was the reason as to why we should not say hi."

"Sheldon, we really need to broaden our circle," Amy insisted.

"I have six loyal friends," Sheldon said. "And sometime next week, this 'circle' would be broadened to eight with the addition of Tanya and Allison."

"Will one or two more people really harm anything?" Amy asked.

"Possibly," Sheldon said with a nod of his head. "We don't know who they are. For all we know, they could be a family of serial killers that spend their days killing innocent physicists in their sleep."

Amy shrugged. "At least I'd be safe," she said.

Sheldon sighed, putting the basket down. HE walked up the two steps and over to an open box. He stared at it for a moment before reaching a hand in.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked with caution.

Sheldon looked at her, pulling out a book. "Investigating," he said. He looked back at the book. "Physics for Dummies," he read. He made a 'humph' noise, dropping the book back into the box. He looked at Amy. "I've seen enough. They don't deserve my greeting." He turned around, picking up the basket.

"Oh, hello," he heard another female say. He stopped and looked, seeing Amy shaking hands with a woman who was accompanied by a young boy, approximately eight or nine years old.

"You must be our new neighbor," Amy said once Sheldon rejoined her. "I'm Amy, this is my _fiance_, Sheldon."

"I'm Helena Bell, this is my son, Max," the woman said. She held her hand out to Sheldon. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sheldon shook his head. "I don't touch people," he said.

Helena smiled, lowering her arm. "Oh, that's fine," she said. "I have a friend just like you back in North Dakota."

"So you _are _our new neighbor?" Sheldon asked, his inability to have unanswered questions showing. "Apartment 4B?"

"That's us," Helena said, walking to one of the boxes.

"I have a series of questions for you," Sheldon said, following her.

"Oh, no," Amy muttered under her breath.

"Sure, fire away," Helena said with a smile and a nod of her head.

"Do you, or do you plan to, play any type of wind instrument?" Sheldon asked. "For example, perhaps a simple trumpet or, and this one is less likely, an oboe?"

"No, music has never really been my thing," Helena said.

"Oh, excellent," Sheldon said. "Do you have any pets?"

"Max is allergic to most animal fur," Helena said, picking up the box in front of her. "And he says hairless animals freak him out."

"Great!" Sheldon exclaimed with a smile. He pointed at the boy. "Not for Max, of course. I, myself, am allergic to ferrets. I found this out the hard way."

"Are there any more questions?" Helena asked.

"Two, to be exact," Sheldon answered. "How do you feel about floor rugs?"

"I used to make them professionally for the company I worked for," Helena said. "I use them religiously."

"You're doing very well so far," Sheldon complimented with a smile. "And the last question, and this is the most important, why do you own a Physics for Dummies how-to book?"

"Oh, that belonged to Max's father," Helena said. "I guess he forgot about it in the divorce. He left rather quickly."

"So neither of you read it?" Sheldon asked.

"Right," Helena said with a nod.

Sheldon smiled at her. "Welcome to the building," he said politely before turning around to do the laundry.

"Do you need some help?" Amy asked, causing Sheldon to stop and turn back around.

"Oh, sure, just grab whatever," Helena said. "Your help would be much appreciated, too, Sheldon."

"Oh, I don't lift things," Sheldon said with a shake of his head and a small smile.

Helena stared at him for a moment before taking the box up the stairs.

Amy grabbed a small box in front of Sheldon, looking at him. "Be nice," she said at a whisper before following Helena.

Sheldon turned to look at Max, who was staring at him. He didn't like being stared at. "Hi, Max," he said, doing his best to listen to Amy.

"Are you Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper?" Max asked.

"Oh, you know who I am," Sheldon said, impressed, considering Max was wearing a t-shirt embroidered with this 'Radiohead' Penny often spoke of.

"I follow you on Twitter," Max said with a smile. "I can't believe I actually get to live next to you: the internet famous physicist gone wild."

Sheldon sighed. "Oh, you're one of _those_ people," he said. He waved at the stairs. "Carry on, little man."

"CAn I ask you a question?" Max asked.

"I believe you mean 'may you ask me a question'," Sheldon started. "Asking if I _can_ is pointless, considering I can answer any question. However, I doubt you would enjoy any answer I give you, bu we live in a free country. Ask what you wish."

"How old were you when you got your first degree?" Max asked. "I ask because you have so many of them. You must have been young."

"Eleven, not counting my high school diploma, which is still a degree," Sheldon said. "Now, go to your mother."

"I'm eight," Max continued on. "Do you think I can be a physicist like you one day? I've read most of your papers, the ones I can get my hands on. And you're my idol."

Sheldon was surprised. "_You're_ smart?" he asked.

"Top of my class," Max said. "The other students pick on me cause I'm in special classes."

"Advanced classes," Sheldon said, walking up the stairs with Max. "Oh, the horror those brought."

"_You_ were teased?" Max asked.

"People like me get to where are partially to say the popular term 'screw you' to the bullies," Sheldon said.

"So you don't have bullies anymore?" Max asked.

Barry Kripke, Leslie Winkle, Wil Wheaton for a short period of time.

"No," Sheldon lied with a shake of his head.

"So it doesn't get any better?" Max asked, seeing right through Sheldon.

Sheldon looked down at him. "Oh, adults are much more mature about it," he said. He looked forward again. "Except for Kripke."

"So it _does_ get better," Max said.

"Just imagine it this way," Sheldon started. "One day you'll be making scientific discoveries that can change the universe, while Sally from history class, who used to poke you with a pointy stick spends her adulthood flipping burgers on a stove."

"That does make me feel better," Max said as they stopped in front of the apartment. "My mom says people like you only have huge egos. But, since meeting you, I don't think you're like that."

"Oh, of course not," Sheldon said. "A brain such as mine has neither the room, nor the time to be wasted on something as small and unimportant as an ego."

Amy walked out, a smile on her face. She watched as Max entered the apartment before looking at Sheldon. "Making friends?" she asked.

"Oh, just a fan," Sheldon said, starting back down the stairs.

Amy followed behind him. "He reminds me of you," she said.

Sheldon grinned. "Yes, he does have that amazingly charming vibe to him," he said.

_Bazinga_, Amy thought to herself. Sheldon rarely had to say it with her anymore. She let out a small laugh. "You really don't see it?" she asked.

"I was nothing like that at eight years old," Sheldon said. "He has zero confidence in himself. And you know me, all about confidence."

"Except when it comes to being wrong or dumped," Amy said.

"Let's just get our laundry done," Sheldon said, ending the conversation.

* * *

Leonard entered the house, arriving home an hour later than Howard had promised him earlier this morning. He was regretting going to Santa Monica with him, even though they never even got there. "I'm home," he called out.

Penny walked out, wearing a small black nightgown that barely covered anything, a smirk on her face. "Welcome back," she said.

Leonard smiled as he closed the door. "What's this?" he asked.

Penny walked over to him, taking his hands in hers and guiding him to the couch. "So much as happened today," she said, pushing against him to sit. She then climbed into his lap, straddling him.

Leonard placed his hands on her waist, staring up at her. "Oh, like what?" he asked, liking where this was going already.

"Well, Sheldon said you knew his motives," Penny said.

Why had Sheldon mentioned his choice to propose to Amy when he had asked Leonard specifically _not_ to tell Penny?

"Him and Amy are engaged!" Penny said with a smile. She continued before Leonard could say anything. "And it got me thinking, if Sheldon Cooper can get married, why can't I?"

"Are you drunk?" Leonard asked.

"Surprisingly, no," Penny said with a shake of her head.

"Ok, just checking," Leonard said. "Go on."

Penny put her arms around his neck, kissing him. "I love you," she said. She reached to the table next to the couch, grabbing a small, black box.

"Oh, you got me a ring," Leonard said. "How official."

"No," Penny said, leaning back to look at him.

"Oh," Leonard said disappointingly as Penny climbed off him, handing him the box.

Leonard stood up. "How does this work?" he asked.

"Open it," Penny said.

Leonard looked at the box, opening it. Inside was a note. He pulled it ou and unfolded it, reading it. "Permission to propose?" he asked, looking at Penny.

"I'm ready," Penny said. "I just thought, why should I do it? I want you to propose. And not like Sheldon did. I want a ring, flowers, everything. Go all out. Just don't tell me when you're doing it."

Leonard smiled, pulling her in for a hug. "Oh, Penny, I have to admit, I was losing hope," he said.

"So was I," Penny said, pulling away. "Our conversation the other day scared me. But, now I'm sure we can do this." She smiled assuredly at him.

"Yeah?" Leonard asked.

Penny nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Wanna celebrate in the bedroom?"

"Oh, do I!" Leonard exclaimed, racing her up the stairs.

* * *

Sheldon was folding up his and Amy's now-clean laundry when Max entered the room, hopping up on the dryer, staring at Sheldon.

Sheldon couldn't take the staring any more and looked at Max. "Yes?" he asked.

"I thought social relationships were repulsive to you?" Max asked.

"I was naive then," Sheldon said, putting the folded clothes back into the white basket next to him.

"So, you were wrong?" Max asked.

"Naive," Sheldon said once again.

"Do you like kids?" Max asked.

"Not particularly," Sheldon said, not afraid to show his annoyance with the boy.

"Why not?" Max asked.

Sheldon looked at him. "All you ever do is ask questions," he said. "Why _is_ that?"

"I'm a kid," Max said with a shrug. "I'm curious. And you always answer them."

Sheldon was quiet for a moment. "Would you like to make an appointment?" he asked, pulling his phone from his pocket, opening the calender.

"When are you free?" Max asked, doing the same.

"Monday at two p.m.," Sheldon said. "Earliest I can do before I go to Texas on Tuesday."

"How about three?" Max asked.

Sheldon shrugged. "I believe I can squeeze you in at three thirty," he said.

"I'll take it," Max said.

Sheldon put it in his phone. "I'll see you then," he said, looking at Max.

Max hopped off the dryer. "You have a pleasant evening, Dr. Cooper," he said.

"You as well, future Dr. Bell," Sheldon said.

Max turned around, running into Amy. "Sorry, ma'am," he said with a tilt of his head. He went around Amy, leaving the room.

Amy smiled at Sheldon. "You _so_ made a friend," she said.

* * *

**Let me know what you think of Helena and Max**

**If you don't like them, I can just get rid of them**

**I don't get why you wouldn't though**

**Leave reviews and suggestions, I'm always needing tips **

**See you again in a few days **


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all the reviews. Looks like everyone is a fan of Max**

**He's not in this chapter but will return in the next one**

**There's a small twist in the middle**

**Also slight spoiler for HIMYM finale**

**Yes, I worked it in**

* * *

Howard and Bernadette were in the kitchen, getting things ready for their double date with Raj and Alli as Raj waited on the couch, staring at the door, waiting for Alli to knock on it.

"She's always early," Howard said, making Bernadette do everything as he kept an eye on Raj. "His worrying is pointless."

"So you never worried with me?" Bernadette asked, taking four wine glasses out of the cabinet.

Howard looked at his wife as she poured the wine into the glasses. "Like hell," he said. "The type of guy I was and the type of girl you are? If I were you, I would have stood me up."

"It's a good thing I'm not you then," Bernadette said with a smile. "Or else our relationship would have ended before it even began."

"What if she doesn't show up?" Raj asked, joining the two of them in the kitchen.

"Stop being such a worry wart, Raj," Howard said, walking over to his friend. "She went to Santa Monica because you wanted her to. You're not worth that trouble. This is the real deal."

"You're right!" Raj said, realizing that himself. "She's the love of my life!"

"Well, I wouldn't say _that,_" Howard said with a shrug, handing the Indian one of the full glasses.

There was a few knocks on the door. "She's here!" Raj exclaimed. He made his way to the door and opened it, seeing Alli standing there. "Good evening."

Alli smiled at him. "Hey there, cutie," she said, greeting him with a hug as she walked in. She waved at Howard and Bernadette. "Hi."

Howard stared at her before he turned on his heel, walking to the table with a loud scoff in her direction.

"He's still upset about the window," Bernadette said, picking up the two remaining glasses of wine. She held one out to Alli. "Wine?"

Alli gladly took the glass. "Yes, please," she said followed by her downing the all the liquid inside.

"Raj, would you look at that," Howard said. "You found the female version of you." He sat down at the table. "An ass when sober and most likely an ass when drunk."

"Dude, that's my girlfriend you're talking about!" Raj said in Alli's defense.

Alli looked at him. "Oh, I'm not your girlfriend," she said casually. "Sure, I'm a girl and I'm your friend." She shook her head. "Not your girlfriend. Just clearing that up." She started towards the table.

"Then what is this?" Raj asked, just standing there in the middle of the room.

"It's Shamy all over again," Howard whispered, leaning close to Bernadette.

Alli stopped, turning around to look at Raj once again. "That one date was nice, Raj," she said. "But I haven't looked at you as a potential romantic partner since that night. I thought what this is, is simply an innocent night hanging out with friends platonically?"

"Platonic?" Raj asked.

"I can hear his heart breaking," Bernadette whispered to Howard, her full attention on the two in the living room.

Alli put the glass in her hand down as she walked over to him. "I thought you knew," she said.

"So you've been leading me on?" Raj asked in disbelief.

Howard stood up, walking over to them. "Who says you can't try again?" he asked, not wanting any heartbreaking on a date night.

"Can we?" Raj asked with puppy dog eyes.

Alli stared at Raj for a moment before smiling. "What harm can a second date cause?" she said with a nod.

"Now we can eat," Howard said. "I brought brisket from my mom's place for this very occasion."

"Let's chow down," Raj said with a smile.

"I'm a vegetarian," Alli said.

"Me, too," Raj said.

"Since when?" Howard asked.

"Since five seconds ago, shut up," Raj said.

"It's ok," Bernadette said from the table. "We have some salad. I can fish out the bacon bits." She grabbed teh bowl the salad was in.

The three sat down at the table. "Raj tells me you're an engineer," Alli said.

"I don't like to brag," Howard said with a humbled shrug and a smile.

"Good thing there's no need to," Alli said, taking the salad Bernadette handed her.

Bernadette put her hand on Howard's, which was grasping the handle of a knife, ready to plunge. "I'm a microbiologist myself," she said.

"Raj hasn't mentioned that," Alli said. "That's neat."

"Raj can't talk to women," Howard blurted out.

"That was a long time ago!" Raj said in his defense. He looked at Alli. "I'm a changed man now."

* * *

Leonard knocked on the door of Sheldon and Amy's apartment, having been asked to come over a few minutes earlier. Sheldon had sounded stuck and must have been desperate for an answer if he wanted Leonard's help.

"It's open," he heard Sheldon say from inside the apartment.

Leonard opened the door, walking in. Sheldon was staring at one of the three boards around him, circles and words drawn all over. Papers were sprawled out on the floor around the genius. "What did you need?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

Sheldon looked at him. "Amy and I were planning the seating arrangements for our wedding reception," he started. "And she was called to the zoo for a 'once in a lifetime ' neurobiology nonsense and left me do it all by myself."

"The reception?" Leonard asked. "That's still a year away."

"Why wait until the last minute?" Sheldon asked. "Now, Amy and I will have the center table along with my mother, my sister, and Amy's parents. However, that leaves room for one more person and I can't choose."

"What about me?" Leonard asked.

"Oh, no," Sheldon said with a shake of his head. "You'll be at the best man's table, furthest away from me." He turned around to look at Leonard face-to-face. "I've seen you at weddings, Leonard. I'd rather not sit near you."

"You've eliminated your best friend?" Leonard asked.

"You'll be my best man," Sheldon said as if that made everything better. "As long as you don't approach me after you're intoxicated." He turned back around. "Oh, Penny!"

"She'll be sitting with me," Leonard said, walking to the kitchen.

"Oh, you'll be broken up before then," Sheldon said. "I won't rule it out. But no one knows the future."

"What about your brother or your sister's husband?" Leonard asked, pouring some coffee.

Sheldon looked at him, brows lifted, head cocked. "Why on Earth would I want to sit at the same table as them?" he asked.

"Don't you think Missy might want her husband next to her?" Leonard asked.

"You're right," Sheldon said, looking back at the board. "I'll move her to the miscellaneous table." He wrote on the board. "Oh, look at that! That gives us another seat. That means Wolowitz can sit there with Bernadette."

Leonard looked at him in disbelief. "You chose _Howard_ over me?" he asked.

Sheldon looked at Leonard. "He's capable of holding his liquor," he said. "That's not a common trait in this group. He, Penny, and Bernadette have a skill I don't understand."

"But you always complain about Howard," Leonard said.

"Yes, but now he has a Ph.d and if you say the word 'baby' around him, he cries," Sheldon said. "And according to Internet blogs and forums, to see a grown man cry is a very amusing pastime. I have yet to witness it, but I shall test for the amusement soon."

"So you'll willingly make him cry for your own amusement?" Leonard asked.

"No, to _see_ if it amuses me," Sheldon corrected. "Please try to keep up, Leonard."

"_Or_ you could just not have alcohol at your wedding," Leonard said.

Sheldon looked at the board for a moment, staring at it. "Huh," he said. "I hadn't thought of that." He shrugged. "Looks like you're at the Fowler-Cooper table after all." He wrote on the board once more.

"Fowler-Cooper?" Leonard asked, surprised Amy's name was first.

Sheldon looked at him. "By age," he said. "Or importance. Your pick." He put the marker down as he started to gather up the paper.

"Importance?" Leonard asked, surprised once again.

"Yes," Sheldon said with a nod, looking at his friend. "It is defined as such: the state or fact of-"

"I know what it means, Sheldon," Leonard interrupted. "You think Amy is of more importance than you?"

Sheldon stood up. "Correct," he said. "And Amy has informed me, that once we are married, she will change her name to Amy Farrah Fowler _hyphen_ Cooper." He walked past Leonard to his desk.

Leonard smiled. "She means so much to you, doesn't she?" he asked.

Sheldon put the papers down, looking at Leonard with confusion in his expression. "I'm marrying her, aren't I?" he asked. "How does one get more important than that?"

"Speaking of which," Leonard said.

"Oh, I probably don't care," Sheldon said as he walked past Leonard once again. "But, considering past events where you have said such words and I did not care, and still you told me, you'll probably tell me now." He sat down, looking up at Leonard. "What is on your mind, Dr. Hofstadter?"

Leonard did his best to ignore Sheldon's arrogance as he sat down. "Penny gave me permission to propose," he said.

"I was right," Sheldon said, standing up. "I don't care."

"Well, can't you_ pretend_ you do for a five minutes?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon stared at Leonard. "Why?" he asked.

"I listened to you about _your_ plan to propose," Leonard said.

"That's because you cared," Sheldon said. He shook his head. "I don't care."

"Just sit down," Leonard said.

"Fine," Sheldon said with a sigh, sitting back down. "So... Penny is ready for marriage, but still unable to propose herself. This is probably just a ploy for you to screw up this relationship so she doesn't have to break your heart as she did last time." He leaned on the arm, looking at Leonard. "What are your thoughts on that?"

Leonard ignored Sheldon's interpretation of Penny's actions. "I changed my mind," he said, standing up.

"Why do you so often for my advice only to ignore it when I give any?" Sheldon asked, standing up himself.

"I guess I thought-" Leonard started.

"I said I don't care," Sheldon interrupted once more with a shake of his head. "You can go home now. Tonight is tv night with Amy. She won't want you present." He walked to Amy's desk.

"What are you watching?" Leonard asked as he made his way to the door.

Sheldon looked at him as if he were ashamed. "Three weeks ago, she forced me to watch the first eight seasons of How I Met Your Mother on DVD," he said. "I was hesitant, but it's not that bad of a show. For a sitcom."

"You hate sitcoms," Leonard said.

"Yes, but Amy-for some reason-loves this show," Sheldon said. "And I love her. Why would I have said no?"

"You're a _much_ better boyfriend then I am," Leonard said slowly, blown away by his own discovery.

Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "I know," he said. "Amy is a lucky gal." He smiled as he grabbed Amy's laptop.

Leonard stopped before he opened the door, looking at Sheldon. "Oh, the radiation at the university has cleared up," he said. "Back to work tomorrow. Try not to stay up too late."

"I never do," Sheldon said, walking to the tv.

"See you tomorrow, Sheldon," Leonard said, opened the door. "Good luck with the show." He left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Howard and Bernadette stood in the kitchen, drinking something stronger than wine, as Raj and Alli sucked face on the couch.

"I take full responsibility," Howard said.

"For what?" Bernadette asked. "Raj's happiness?"

Howard nodded, looking at her. "I made Raj un-lonely for a change!" he said. "_I _technically set them up!"

"But she introduced herself," Bernadette said.

"I took him to that bar that night," Howard defended. "All on me." He looked back at the couch, seeing that Raj and Alli were finally finished and standing up.

Raj looked at them as Alli grabbed his hand. "We're going back to her place," he said with a wide smile. "Don't wait up for us."

"You kids have fun," Howard said.

Raj waved and smiled at Alli as they left the apartment.

"Finally," Bernadette said, walking into the living room with Howard behind her. "This date went on for five hours." The two of them sat down on the couch.

"Who knew there were so many Klingon words about microbiology," Howard said.

Bernadette looked at him. "You did," she said. "You're fluent in a fake language."

"It's too late to mock me, Bernie," Howard said. He lifted his left hand, pointing at the wedding band he wore. "You already married me."

Bernadette smiled, putting the glass on the coffee table. She stopped, seeing an envelope. She picked it up, leaning back. "What's this?" she asked, looking at Howard.

Howard looked at the envelope, taking it from her as he stood up. "Oh, it's nothing," he said, walking away from the couch.

"It doesn't look like nothing," Bernadette said. "Howie, no secrets."

Howard turned around, looking at her. He sighed, giving in. "It came in the mail today," he said. He lifted it, looking at it with a fake smile as if to hide pain. "It's from my dad." He looked back at Bernadette.

"Did you read it?" Bernadette asked though she already knew the answer.

"Why would I read it?" Howard asked, tossing it to the island in the kitchen. He shrugged. "I don't want any excuses." He looked at Bernadette once again. "He knows where I live. He knows and all he can do is send a freaking-" He stopped, walking to the couch and sitting down. "If I ignore it long enough, it'll go away."

Bernadette put her arms around him, rubbing his shoulders. "You don't have to read it," she said. "You can ignore him all you want. You have that right."

"What if he decides he wants to see me and comes by?" Howard asked.

"You can punch his lights out," Bernadette said.

"He's bigger than me," Howard said.

"Then I'll punch his lights out," Bernadette said.

Howard looked at her with a smile. "I like the sound of that," he said.

"Everything will be ok, Howie," Bernadette assured him, kissing his cheek and laying her head on his shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about."

* * *

"So how was the double date last night?" Leonard asked when Howard and Raj joined the table he and Sheldon were sitting at in the university cafeteria.

"I got lucky," Raj said with a smile.

"You go from an early Shamy relationship to sex in five hours?" Howard asked.

"Alcohol changes people," Raj said. "Albeit for one night, but they change."

"People change," Sheldon said with a sigh.

"What's on _your_ mind, Sheldon?" Leonard asked, knowing that's what Sheldon wanted by speaking up.

Sheldon looked at him. "Amy and I watched the final episodes of How I Met Your Mother last night," he said. "So many character progressions only to be-and pardon my language, I'm quoting Amy-only to be shat upon by the writers. I'll save the three of you of any spoilers."

"You_ really_ don't have to worry about that," Howard said.

"Now you worry about spoilers?" Leonard asked.

"These aren't just any spoilers, Leonard," Sheldon said. "You spend nine seasons waiting for the conclusion, only to discover that the mother from the title has been dead the whole time." He looked at Howard, grasping the edges of the table. "The _whole_ time!"

"Dude, spoilers!" Raj said.

"Not happy are you?" Leonard asked Sheldon.

Sheldon let go of the table, picking up his fork to eat. "I haven't been this disappointed since they cast Ben Affleck as Batman," he said.

"On a more important note," Leonard started.

"Nothing is more important at this point in life, Leonard," Sheldon said. He looked forward. "Damn you, Amy, for making me watch that show."

"Anyways," Leonard said, displeased by the interruption. "You and Amy are going to Texas tomorrow. Are you ready?"

"We packed yesterday," Sheldon said. "And I have already bought the train tickets."

"You're taking a _train_ to Texas?" Howard asked.

Sheldon looked at him. "Don't mock me, Wolowitz," he said. "I know how to make you cry. Watch how you use your words." He paused. "Besides, we're taking a train to San Diego and _then _getting on a plane." He looked at Leonard. "I know it's out of the way, but Amy said we could."

"I meant are you ready for Amy to meet the rest of your family?" Leonard asked.

"Not particularly," Sheldon said. "You remember how I reacted when she wanted me to meet her mother. And we weren't even dating then."

"Drink alcohol," Howard said. "That always calms your nerves."

Sheldon looked at him once again, silent for a few seconds. "Baby," he said.

Howard slowly stood up, picking up the tray. He leaned towards Sheldon. "You're an ass," he said before leaving.

Sheldon watched him leave before looking back at Leonard. "The Internet was wrong once again," he said. "I don't understand the amusement."

"At least you're not a complete terrible person," Leonard said, sarcastically looking at the bright side.

* * *

**Who's ready for Texas? I know I am**

**As always, leave any reviews and helpful suggestions**

**God knows I could use it**

**See you next time**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the long wait**

**I was waiting until I got at least one review on the last chapter**

**And that never happened**

**Weep**

**Well, this is the last chapter for a few days. Going camping and won't be back until Wednesday**

**Which means chapter 14 on Friday or Saturday**

**Ok, have fun**

* * *

Sheldon and Amy boarded the train to San Diego later than Sheldon had anticipated, but they got there just in time, with five minutes to spare by the time the entered the main car.

"We would have been here sooner had you not wasted time chatting with Penny," Sheldon complained as they chose their seats, putting the bags over head.

"I won't see her for a week," Amy said. "I'm going to miss her."

"That's no excuse," Sheldon said as the two sat down across from each other. He leaned against the table. "You could have talked on the phone."

"It's not the same as a face-to-face conversation," Amy said.

"That's why the invented FaceTime," Sheldon said. "The goodbyes could have waited."

"Are you sure Raj was a good choice as a house sitter?" Amy asked just to change the topic.

"Very," Sheldon said. "He was an excellent roommate. I sometimes wish he still was. He'll take good care of the apartment while we're away."

"Why didn't you ask Leonard or Penny?" Amy asked. "Or maybe even Howard or Bernadette?"

"And risk coitus in my bed?" Sheldon asked. "No, thank you, Dr. Fowler."

"How do you know Raj won't?" Amy asked. "You know he has Alli now."

"But he said it was a one time thing," Sheldon said. "That whatever they had was over."

"But was it?" Amy asked. "Really?"

"I don't like the direction this conversation is going," Sheldon said. "I suppose it's time for a change of subject. Particularly one that I like."

"Very well," Amy said with a nod of her head. She paused to think of a change of subject. "You hate helping people move. You complain every single time about the smallest tasks like carrying an empty bag the size of an iPod. What makes Tanya's move so different?"

"We'll be working together once she's in Pasadena," Sheldon responded. "I want her to view me as a friend first and an employer second, if at all."

"But it remains professional in the work place," Amy said. "You won't let her refert to you as a friend at the university."

"Alright, you got me!" Sheldon said, giving up already. "I have been planning this trip since I discovered the inevitable wedding between us. Helping Tanya move was merely a convenient excuse."

"You were gonna propose to me in Texas?" Amy asked.

Sheldon nodded his head. "That was the idea," he said. "It all happened between when you broke up with me and I came crawling back to you like a baby. Though at the time I didn't know it would take a semi-wedding proposal to actually win you back. I thought I could do that just by showing up."

"You know you_ can_ still carry out said plans," Amy told him.

"But now you know about it," Sheldon said. "I thought proposals were supposed to be a surprise?"

"Sheldon, we're already engaged," Amy said. "All we need now is a romantic night and a ring."

"That's being taken care of," Sheldon said.

Amy smiled. "You got a ring?" she asked excitedly.

Sheldon shook his head. "No," he said. "That's not what 'being taken care of' means."

Amy's smile quickly vanished. "Then what do you mean?" she asked.

"I'll be getting a ring very shortly," Sheldon said. "I know someone. Dr. Sheldon Cooper has some Texan connections."

"Is it legal?" Amy asked.

"It's my mother," Sheldon said.

"Why are you getting a ring from your-" Amy started then stopped when it hit her. "Oh. She's ok with that?"

"I haven't told her yet," Sheldon said. "We agreed to tell her together." He grabbed the menu to order food, looking over it. "She has told me that should I marry, her engagement ring would be mine to give to my potential bride-to-be."

"I don't know what to say," Amy said, awe struck by this news.

Sheldon looked up at her, lowering the menu. "What _does_ one say at a time like this?" he asked.

"Thank you, I suppose," Amy said.

Sheldon thought for a moment before nodding. "That should suffice," he said. "You're welcome." He gave her a smile before looking at the menu once again.

"What sort of sight seeing should we do while we're in Texas?" Amy asked.

"You _really _want to talk about sight seeing?" Sheldon asked, still not looking away from the menu.

"I've never been to Texas," Amy said. "And I only have a week. I want to explore. So, yes, I do."

Sheldon sighed and lowered the menu, closing it. "There's a comic book store three blocks from my mom's house that has a seemingly endless amount of Star Wars comic books in stock," he said.

"A comic book store?" Amy asked with a small groan of annoyance. "_That's _your idea of sight seeing? You go to a comic book store every week."

"Not at Tom's comic book store," Sheldon said. "What else is there to look at in Texas?" He looked out when the train started to move, smiling as he looked back at Amy. "Isn't this exciting?"

"A train ride that will be taking us two hours out of the way?" Amy asked. "_Very_."

Sheldon stared at her, his eyebrows raised, as if he were studying her. "Sarcasm?" he asked, unsure.

"Spot on," Amy said with a smile, proud of how he was so quick to determination.

* * *

"It's just not the same without Sheldon," Raj said as he sat down on the couch, Howard finishing up his turn with the Kinect bowling game Raj brought, Leonard getting ready to play. "I mean, we have a whole week without him, and we still can't bring ourselves to sit in his spot."

Howard looked at him. "No, _you_ can't sit in that spot," he said. "I've sat in that spot. I understand why Sheldon loves that spot. I, myself, love that spot. I have never had a problem sitting there."

"I don't think you should sit there," Leonard informed him, taking his turn, getting a spare. "He can tell. Raj, you're turn."

Raj stood up. "You have to admit, it'll be a quiet week without him and Amy," he said.

"Are you gonna play the game or bitch about Sheldon all day?" Howard asked, ignoring Leonard's warning, sitting down in Sheldon's spot.

Raj walked to the tv. "We should do something tonight," he said. "Just the three of us."

"Can't, Penny and I are going out," Leonard said, walking over to the fridge.

Raj looked at the tv, taking his first roll. "What about you, Howard?" he asked after he got a gutter ball.

"I can," Howard said with a shrug of his shoulders before shaking his head. "I just don't want to."

"Invite Alli over," Leonard suggested.

"Then I would have to email Sheldon for permission," Raj said. "And he'll probably say no."

"Then don't tell him," Leonard said. "I did htat with Penny when he was in Texas with Howard."

"You rebel," Howard said sarcastically in the common over-dramatic way as he often did.

Raj groaned when he got another gutter ball. "You win, Howard," he said, shutting off the console.

"I'm not surprised," Howard said. "You two suck at bowling."

Leonard sat down, looking at Howard. "Can I ask you a question?" he asked. "It involves my relationship with Penny."

"Oh, my god, she dumped you again," Howard said.

"No," Leonard said. "Now stop jumping to conclusions."

"Right, sorry," Howard said. "What's your question?"

"Actually, it's more like advice," Leonard said. "Penny wants me to propose. And Sheldon thinks it's because she's ready to move on with her life and doesn't want to end up breaking my heart again."

"Yeah, breaking up with you during a proposal is generous," Howard said, once again sarcastic.

"It is?" Raj asked as he sat down next to Howard. "That doesn't sound right. Are you sure?"

Howard stared at him for a moment, unable to form any words. He just shook his head, looking back at Leonard. "You have nothing to worry about," he said. "My advice is, don't let Sheldon get in your head."

"No, it's too late for _that _advice," Leonard said. "Sheldon has been in my head for over ten years."

"Then you're screwed," Howard said.

"I'm still confused," Raj said. "A marriage proposal rejection_ isn't_ heartbreaking?"

Howard looked at him. "You've been in America for over fifteen years, Raj," he said. "The dense foreign guy look isn't cute anymore."

Raj smiled. "I'm cute?" he asked.

"Adorable," Howard said, annoyed. He looked back at Leonard. "Ignore Sheldon. Just go with your gut."

"I'm gonna do it," Leonard said with a nod.

"Penny wants to marry you and you had doubts?" Howard asked with shock.

"Blame that on Sheldon," Leonard said. "And now I remember why I never ask him for advice."

"It'll be fine, Leonard," Howard reassured him.

"She won't dump me," Leonard said before pausing. "I think."

* * *

"We're here now, Mom," Sheldon was saying on the phone as he and Amy went down the escalator to exit the terminal. "You didn't have to call. You're here, too. You could have just waited for us." He paused and nodded his head even though Mary couldn't see him do so. "Yes, goodbye, see you in two minutes." He hung up the phone, looking behind him at Amy. "Women," he said with a roll of his eyes, looking forward once again.

Amy smiled as they stepped off, heading to pick up their luggage. "So, did she know I was coming?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't I tell her?" Sheldon asked, still checking his text messages as they walked.

Amy shrugged her shoulders, looking up at her boyfriend. "To surprise her, I guess," she said.

Sheldon looked at her. "Oh, surprises with my mother _never_ turn out well," he said, remembering what he saw her doing the last time he came to Texas.

"Right," Amy said with a nod, grabbing her bag when it passed by. "What _have _you told her?"

"About what?" Sheldon asked, looking around for his suitcase.

"About us," Amy added.

Sheldon knew what she was meaning by that. She knew that Mary was unaware of the fact that they were engaged. He looked at Amy. "Could you be more specific?" he asked.

"How much does she know about our relationship?" Amy asked.

"I keep her fairly updated," Sheldon said, looking back at the slow-moving conveyor belt in front of them. "She knows we kiss now."

"Does she know you love me?" Amy asked, getting to the point.

Sheldon grabbed his bag and turned around, seeming to avoid eye contact with her. "I figured she would find out," he said, walking away.

Amy walked by his side, reaching out and taking a hold of his hand, glad at how comfortable he was with it now. She thought his hesitance about it would last forever. "I understand how you're feeling," she said. "Love is new to me as it is to you. You're scared of how the world might react."

"It's an illogical fear," Sheldon said. "It's not even harmful to my body. It's not a physical object. It's an emotion. I shouldn't be fearing it, I should be embracing it." They stopped when Mary started to approach them.

"Oh, Shelly!" she greeted, hugging both Sheldon and Amy consecutively. "It's so good to see you two! Amy, you look lovely today, despite the traveling."

Amy smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Cooper," she said.

"Oh, no, I want be havin' any of that," Mary said with a shake of her finger in Amy's direction. "You call me Mary. We're practically family!"

"Hardly," Sheldon muttered.

Mary looked at him. "What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," Sheldon said.

Mary looked back at Amy. "Would you like me to help you with this?" she asked, gesturing to the black suitcase behind the neurobiologist.

"No, that's fine," Amy said. "But, thank you."

"We should get on the road then," Mary said, putting her attention back on her son. "Have you got a hotel?"

"Why would we need a hotel room?" Sheldon asked. "We can just stay in my old room just like I always do when I visit."

"Well, first off, you are not gonna be sinning in my house," Mary said.

"Why not?" Sheldon asked. "You did."

"We don't have sex," Amy interjected, getting Mary's attention. "We agreed to wait."

Mary smiled. "Oh, Shelly, I'm proud of you," she said. "Not very surprised, but proud!"

"Unnecessary pride," Sheldon said. "Coitus still, on a certain level, repulses me."

"Anyways," Mary said. "Your brother is back in town. He's staying at the house."

"He hit rock bottom again?" Sheldon inquired.

"This time it was _not _his fault," Mary said, defending George Jr. "Three years clean, in fact! No, his tramp of a wife left him with nothin' but the clothes on his back and the dirty shoes on his feet."

"That's awful," Amy said.

"What's worse is, he thinks she's comin' back," Mary said. "So which hotel would you prefer?"

"I still don't see why we can't stay in your house," Amy said.

"I can answer this," Sheldon told Mary. He looked at Amy. "I'm not fond of my brother."

"Why not?" Amy asked.

"He's just like the rest of my family," Sheldon said. He looked back at Mary. "No offense. You know I love you. We'll take any hotel, motel, or inn, as long as it's not Motel Six. We want something with class."

"I know just the place," Mary said, guiding them out the doors.

* * *

Raj watched Howard and Leonard as they got ready to leave the apartment for the night, Leonard to his date with Penny, and Howard going home just to get away from Raj and all his complaints about being lonely.

"Do you really have to go?" Raj asked.

"Yeah," Leonard said, stuffing his phone into his pocket after texting Penny.

Raj's eyes slowly moved to look at Howard, giving him puppy dog eyes, practically begging the Jew to stay.

Howard shook his head. "I'm not a part of Loserville anymore, Raj," he said. "I'm married now. To a woman who will actually have sex with me more than once."

"But being alone here is no fun," Raj complained, standing up.

"Not our problem," Howard said as he opened the door. He stopped, seeing Sheldon and Amy's new neighbor, Helena and her son, Max, standing on the other side. "Hi," he said with a smile.

"Are Sheldon and Amy here?" Helena asked after a quick look inside.

"No, they're in Texas for a week," Howard said.

"Oh, I have a late shift tonight and was wondering if they would baby sit," Helena said. "I guess I should just call a sitter."

"I can watch him," Raj suggested, walking over to them. "I'm fun and relatable!"

"Not with this one," Howard told Raj, placing a hand on the Indian's shoulder. He nodded his head once before slipping past Helena and down the stairs.

"I'm fun," Raj said, smiling still.

Helena looked at Leonard, being cautious about who she was leaving her son with. "Is it ok?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," Leonard said with a nod. He pointed at Raj behind him. "He's _fuuunnn!_" He himself slipped past Helena, going down the stairs.

Raj looked at her. "See, I'm fun," he said.

"He talks funny, " Max said. He shrugged. "I guess it could be somewhat entertaining." He walked past Raj, sitting on the couch.

"I'll pay you when I get home," Helena said.

"No need," Raj said. "I have a good job that pays well. I'm an astrophysicist." Truth be told the only reason why he denied pay was so he could brag about what he did. He heard a small chuckle come from the couch and turned around to look at Max. "Sheldon _respects_ my field!"

"He probably pretends because you're one of his favorites," Max said with a shrug.

Raj looked back at Helena, a smile on his face. "I'm one of his favorites," he repeated.

"That's nice," Helena said. "I better go before I'm late. I'll see you later. Bye, Mouse!" She waved at Max before leaving.

Raj closed the door before walking over to the couch. Mouse. That was an adorable pet name. "You're in Sheldon's spot," he told the eight year old.

Max looked up at him as he moved over one spot. "Aren't you gonna offer me a beverage?" he asked.

"This is gonna be a long night," Raj muttered as he walked into the kitchen.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy were in the hotel room-which was exactly as Sheldon had wanted-getting ready for bed. They were both in their pajamas, Amy sitting on the bed, reading Pride and Prejudice, her favorite book-though Sheldon didn't blame her, it was a master piece-and Sheldon was sitting at the desk, putting some final touches on a paper he was working on.

"You know what the interesting thing about the platypus is?" Sheldon asked out of the blue.

Amy looked up from her book and over at Sheldon, her head slightly cocked. Sometimes she wondered what went on in that head of his. "No," she said. "Intrigue me."

Sheldon turned around and looked at her, leaning on the back of the chair. "Most people think the plural is 'platypi'," he started.

"And I'll bet it isn't," Amy said, closing the book.

Sheldon stood up and walked over to the bed. "It comes from a Greek background," he said, moving the covers aside. "Which means the correct plural is, in fact, platypodes."

"What's the point of this?" Amy asked.

Sheldon stopped what he was doing and looked at Amy. He shrugged. "It was just interesting," he said. "And quite amusing." He climbed into the bed, covering up. "It's something I'm starting. Every night, before bed, I'll tell you a single interesting factoid."

"Why start with the plural of platypus?" Amy asked.

"Because I like," Sheldon started he looked at Amy. "Platypodes." He gave her a wink before laying back.

Amy shrugged, putting her book away. She pulled the covers on, laying down on her side of hte bed. "What are our plans for tomorrow?" she asked.

"I still want you to see Tom's comic book store," Sheldon said as he closed his eyes.

"Fine, we can do that," Amy said, giving in since he had already asked maybe twelve or so times.

Sheldon opened his eyes and looked at her. "And Tom's train shop?" he asked.

"How many stores does Tom own?" Amy asked.

"Two different Toms," Sheldon explained. "Amy, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Amy said with a nod.

"There are two beds," Sheldon said.

Amy didn't like where this was going. "Correct," she said quietly.

"And this means I am paying for a room with two beds," Sheldon said. "Ergo, I am paying for two beds to be used. And we are only using one." He tilted his head, gesturing to the other bed.

Amy couldn't blame him. They had one night where they shared a bed. He was obviously still hesitant about it. But it was still hard for her not to get upset at him with the way he was going about asking her to move. "Not in the mood to spoon tonight?" she asked.

"That was only one night, Amy," Sheldon said. "You agreed we'll do what we're both comfortable with."

"I'm comfortable with spooning," Amy said, getting a look from Sheldon. She sighed. "Fine." She threw the covers off and stood up, walking to the other bed. She laid down on the bed, pulling the covers up over her, turning her back to him.

Sheldon stared in her direction for a moment. "Are you upset?" he asked.

"Yes," Amy said.

"Nailed it," Sheldon whispered to himself as he turned the light off.

* * *

Leonard and Penny stood on the porch, just getting back from their wonderful date. Leonard was getting his keys out to unlock the door as Penny stood, staring out into space, as if she could see every single star and not just a select few.

"Hard to believe Howard was up there, huh?" Leonard said.

PEnny looked at him. "Yeah, it's pretty remarkable," she said. "Do you want to go to space?"

"It's kinda every scientists dream next to a Nobel Prize," Leonard said, walking over to her.

"I'll put you up there when I get rich and famous," Penny said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll repay you by buying you a country," Leonard said.

"I'm ok with ruling my own country," Penny said with a smile, the two of them sharing a laugh.

After a moment's silence, Leonard asked, "Are you absolutely sure you want to marry me?" he asked.

"What?" Penny asked. "Where is this coming from?"

"Sheldon's in my head, don't ask," Leonard said. "I just need to know. Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent," Penny said. "I love you, and I want to be with you."

"Just had to make sure," Leonard said.

"I don't blame you," Penny said as the two of them entered the house. "I've been putting it off for too long."

"So let's do it," Leonard said as he closed the door.

Penny turned around and looked at him, to find him getting down on one knee. "This is sooner than I expected," she said.

Leonard pulled a ring out of his pocket, holding it up for her to see. "Penny, I've known you a long time," he said.

"Seven years," Penny said.

"Yeah," Leonard said with a nod of his head. "And I have loved you for..."

Penny shrugged. "Seven years," she said.

"We're made for eachother," Leonard said.

"Yeah," Penny said quietly.

"Will you marry me?" Leonard asked.

There were the words. The words Penny had been wanting to hear. Or at least she thought. She stared at him for a few long moments, watching as the expression on his face changed as he stood up. "I need a walk," she said as she quickly walked around him and out the door.

Leonard stood there in shock, staring at the ring. He put the ring down on the counter, before walking up the stairs. "Damn you, Sheldon," he muttered.

* * *

**Uh, oh, what's up with Penny?**

**I'm at a loss with these two**

**Should I keep them together?**

**Should I break them up?**

**I'm kinda neutral with Lenny so I don't care all that much either way**

**What do you people want?**

**As always, leave reviews (please, not getting any is the worst)**

**See you soon**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the real long wait. Had that camping trip then I got writers block**

**Which is also why this chapter is so freaking short**

**But it's sweet**

**I've figured out my Lenny problem and you'll find out soon how I did :)**

**More Max in this chapter, too**

**Read on**

* * *

Amy woke up the next morning before Sheldon, by only a few minutes, but it gave her some time to think. She had given in to Sheldon one too many times, the night before proved that. She figured it was her turn to say something.

She was sitting on the adjacent bed, staring at Sheldon as he woke up. He turned his head and saw her, the expression on his face was all confusion.

He rubbed at his eyes to get the sleep out of them, sitting up, putting his feet on the floor. "Is something wrong?" he asked, putting his arm down.

"Very," Amy said with a nod of her head. "I have some stipulations for you."

"_Alright,_ we can go to only one of the stores," Sheldon said, thinking that was her problem. "I'm leaning towards Tom's Trains, but if you want to look at comic books, I'm ok with that, too."

"No, this is about our relationship," Amy said.

"But we're allowed to do what we want now," Sheldon said. "I thought you liked that?"

"Oh, I do," Amy said, nodding her head. "So... so much." She shook her head to focus once more. "It's just... not enough."

"I don't understand," Sheldon said.

He never did.

"I want us to share a bed," Amy said, deciding to go straight to the point. "We don't have to have sex, I'm fine with waiting, too. But, at the same time, I want some sort of intimacy."

Sheldon was quiet for a few seconds. "We're moving rather fast," he said.

That was always his excuse. "No, we're not, Sheldon," Amy said.

"Proposal," Sheldon said, raising a finger, which meant it was going to be something she didn't like. "We share a bed twice a week."

"Every night," Amy said.

Sheldon still tried. "Every other night," he said.

"Every night," Amy persisted. She wasn't giving in.

"Five times a week, final offer," Sheldon said.

"_Every_ night, Sheldon."

Sheldon grew quiet once again, knowing he had no choice but to accept. "Alright," he said with a sigh, giving in. "Is that all?"

"No," Amy said, shaking her head.

"_More_?!" Sheldon asked in disbelief.

"I'm not asking for a lot," Amy said. "I just... I want to feel that you love me."

Sheldon's expression changed after that statement. "You don't feel it?" he asked.

"I _know _you love me," Amy said. "But that's it. I feel like I'm in a one-sided relationship."

"But you're not," Sheldon insisted.

"Then prove it," Amy challenged. "Prove to me that you want this to work. Be it with a touch, a kiss, a glance... Anything. Prove to me that you actually love me. And I know that's hard for you, but I know you can do it."

"I suppose I _could_ try," Sheldon said.

Amy really believed him, too. "Thank you, Sheldon," she said. "That means the world to me coming from you." She stood up, stopping before she went to get dressed. "One more thing."

Sheldon looked up at her. "Will I like this one?" he asked worriedly.

Amy nodded her head. "I think so," she said. "Tom's Trains."

Sheldon grinned at her like a little kid during Christmas morning. "Oh, yay!" he exclaimed. He stood up and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He let go and then ran into the bathroom.

Amy smiled as she walked to the suitcase at the end of the bed, opening it to unpack for the week.

A few minutes later, Sheldon came back out and she looked at him. "I have a question," he said.

"We can alternate these two beds," Amy said, gesturing to the two in the room, knowing already what his question was going to be. "They'll both be used equally."

Sheldon appeared as if he thought he had stumped her. "Oh," he said. He shrugged, turning around and walking back to the bathroom. "Can't argue with logic."

* * *

"And she just walked out?" Howard asked with an involuntary smile and small laugh. He couldn't help it, it was the mere fact that Sheldon was right about a relationship.

"She never came home last night," Leonard said, ignoring Howard's insensitivity. It almost felt like he was talking to Sheldon. Which, in a way, made him feel better. "Not sure if I want her to."

"Don't say that," Howard warned, standing up and walking to the kitchen. "Penny is a once-in-a-lifetime girl. You need to hold onto her."

"I could easily find a new girlfriend," Leonard said, though he didn't really believe what he was saying. "In a few years, if I ever get over Penny. I found Priya."

"Yeah, cause she was related to a friend," Howard said, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of soda. "And then she cheated on you when she went back to India." He closed the fridge.

"You're right," Leonard said. "I should just go home and forget last night ever happened."

"You can't do that, either," Howard said.

"Oh, god, can't you make up your mind?" Leonard asked, annoyed.

"Make her work for it," Howard said, returning to the couch, sitting down. "Have her win you back. You deserve that much. If she doesn't try, _then _give her up. At that point she won't be worth it."

"But she can win me back with sex," Leonard said.

Howard shrugged. "Easy fix," he said. "Do what women do." He opened the bottle in his hand. "Withdraw sex."

"With Penny?" Leonard asked. He shook his head. "I can't do that. Sex with Penny is amazing."

"It's for the greater good," Howard said.

"It'd be easier if she just bought me something," Leonard said, standing up. "I guess I'll give it a try."

"For the record," Howard started. "I really hope it works out between you two. She's good for you. You're happier with her."

"Thanks, Howard," Leonard said with a smile. "I like the new, married you. You can actually give relationship advice that works."

"Yeah, and I can't wait until Sheldon and Amy get married," Howard said. "It'll take some of the pressure off."

"No, I'll still come to you," Leonard said.

"Wise choice," Howard added.

* * *

Amy kept a close eye on Sheldon like a mother on a toddler when they walked into the train store, hand in hand. It wasn't as big as the one he liked to go to in Pasadena, but it was still nice. Sheldon wore a smile that could brighten the darkest caves.

Sheldon pulled her towards the train set that was in the window, pointing at it. "This has been here for over thirty years," he said. "Isn't it magnificent?"

"Yeah, it is," Amy said. She didn't share his love for trains, but she did enjoy seeing the way he just glowed when he spoke of them, especially in a store such as this one. It made her happy to see him happy.

Sheldon bounced slightly as he looked at her. "We should get matching shirts!" he said unexpectedly. "Tom has these specialty shirts. It's just a picture of one big locomotive on your chest!"

Amy smiled. Sheldon actually wanted to match her. That was rare and she would take advantage of it. "That sounds like a great idea," she said.

Sheldon pulled Amy once again, towards the middle of the store. "Tom, two specialty shirts!" he said. "One for me and one for my special little lady here."

Amy couldn't help but smile brightly. She loved it when Sheldon got excited over something they would be doing together as a couple. It meant that she meant so much to him.

She looked up at her boyfriend, deciding to steer away from trains, at least for right now. "When do I get ot meet your family?" she asked.

Sheldon continued to smile, even after her question. He turned his head to look at her, his smile disappearing quickly. "Why are you in such a rush?" he asked.

"It's rude to answer a question with a question, Sheldon," Amy said.

"It's also rude to not answer a question at all," Sheldon said in return.

"Sheldon."

Sheldon sighed. "Fine," he said. He walked around Amy, picking up a small model train. "I'm a little... nervous." He turned around to look at Amy, putting the train down. "About you meeting my family."

"But you're not nervous about marrying me?" Amy asked.

"Oh, I am," Sheldon said with a nod of his head. "But it has to be done, regardless of how I feel."

Amy crossed her arms, giving him a stern look. "_Has_ to be done?" she questioned. "_Regardless_?"

Sheldon Cooper had once again said the wrong thing, and he knew it. "Well, marrying you is only logical," he said, only trying to save his ass.

"_Logical_?!" Amy echoed, lowering her arms. She was furious at this point. "Sheldon, you said you_ wanted_ to marry me!"

Sheldon lifted his hands in an attempt to either calm her down or protect himself, both were equally plausible. "And I do," he said, but it only sounded like he was saying it because he knew that's what she wanted to hear.

Amy put her hands on her hips, still not happy with him. "That doesn't help, Sheldon," she said.

Sheldon nodded his head, lowering his arms to his sides. "Fair enough," he said. He looked around, seeing that a few people had begun staring, which made him feel uncomfortable. He looked back at Amy. "What do you want me to say?"

Amy shook her head. "No," she said. "I want you to figure it out."

Sheldon let out a groan that made him sound like a teenager that was just told to clean the dishes. "But that's hard work!" he complained.

"No shirts then," Amy threatened.

Sheldon stared at her in shock. "No shirts?!" he asked. "Now, that's just not fair. You know how I feel about public nudity."

He was unbelievable. He thought she meant shirts in general. "The train shirts, Sheldon," Amy clarified.

Sheldon was silent. "Oh," he said.

Amy shook her head and turned around, leaving the store.

Sheldon quickly followed behind her, having learnt the hard way to do just that. He reached out and took her hand in his, stopping her and turning her around.

"What?" Amy demanded.

"I love you," Sheldon said.

Amy didn't fight the urge to smile after he said that. It was as rare as rare could be, which made it that much more special. "I love you, too, Sheldon," she said.

Sheldon reached into his pocket, grabbing something, but Amy couldn't see what the object was. "I was going to wait until tonight to do this," he said as he was doing so. "But something keeps telling me to do it now."

"Sheldon?" Amy asked.

Sheldon made her silent, no breathless, when he suddenly got down on one knee. One knee on the dirty sidewalk. Willingly. "Amy Farrah Fowler," he started.

"Yes," Amy blurted out, not waiting for him to ask.

"I haven't even said it yet," Sheldon said.

"Doesn't matter," Amy said, holding her hand out, a huge smile on her face. "Put it on me! Put it on me!" She wasn't sure when he had found the time to get the ring from his mother, but she really didn't care.

That was when Sheldon opened his hand, revealing the beautiful diamond ring he held. She wasn't expecting it to be so beautiful. The second thing today to take her breath away. She squealed when he slide it on her finger.

Amy didn't wait for him to stand up, getting on her knees in front of him and kissing him as hard as she could. He welcomed the kiss, putting his arms around her as she did the same.

This was the happiest day of her life.

* * *

Raj stared at Max from the kitchen, being forced to watch him for the second time now. The eight year old was busy playing Halo, but who knew how long that would last.

The door opened and Howard walked in. At last, the Cavalry had arrived. "What up, a_ss-_tro physicist?" he said, making an inappropriate pun as he clsoed the door. That was when he noticed Max. "I mean, as_tro_ physicist."

"I know what ass is," Max said, pausing the game.

Howard looked at Raj, who was walking over to them. "What have you been telling this kid?" he asked.

"I need you to watch him," Raj said.

"Why?" Howard asked, clearly not wanting the responsibility.

"Alli called me," Raj said.

Howard smiled at him. "Koothrappali got himself a friend with benefits," he said. "I'm impressed."

"She wants to go see a movie," Raj said. "A date that _doesn't _end with..." He looked at Max then back at Howard. "S-e-x."

"I know what sex is, too," Max said, looking up at Raj. "And I'm eight. I can spell."

"Ok, it's not ending in sex," Howard said. "Then why do you want to go out with her?"

"Because I like her," Raj siad. "She likes the same movies as me. The same games. The same comic books. She's even inspired by Sandra Bullock just as I am."

"A match made in Heaven," Howard said. "But that's not why I'm here."

"That's why you're staying," Raj said.

"I have _great_ news," Howard said with a smile.

"Am I allowed to guess?" Raj asked, smiling as well.

"No," Howard said with a shake of his head. "Bernie's pregnant!"

"Dude, that's amazing!" Raj exclaimed, feeling his friends excitement. "When did she find out?"

"I don't know," Howard said. "She hasn't told me yet. I found the test in the garbage."

"You go through your garbage?" Max asked, disgusted.

Howard looked down at him. "Play your game," he said. He was surprised when the kid listened and continued to play. He shrugged, looking at Raj. "Maybe this won't be so bad."

"Just don't let Sheldon know," Raj said. "I asked him and he said no. But I'm doing it anyways."

Howard sighed, sitting on the arm of the couch. "Fine, go have your night of fun on a pointless date," he said, gesturing towards the door.

Raj grinned at Howard. "Thanks, buddy!" he said before running out the door, almost too quick to even open it. How he managed to get through without hurting himself, the world may never know.

Howard looked at Max, who was now staring at him. "Hi," he said.

"What do you do?" Max asked.

Howard moved from the arm to sit next to Max. "I'm an engineer," he said.

"Quaint," Max said, returning to his game.

Howard was immediately offended. "I've been to space," he said.

"Sure you have," Max said as if he were speaking to someone with an imaginary life they believed was real.

"I have a Ph. d.," Howard said, getting upset now.

Max looked at Howard with a comforting smile. "Sure you do," he said, returning to his game.

"I don't like you," Howard said. "You really_ are_ a mini Sheldon."

"And proud," Max said.

* * *

Leonard entered the house after returning from Howard's place. He closed the door, putting the keys down in the bowl that Sheldon had got them after Penny had lost her key. He took his jacket off, looking at the kitchen door when it opened.

Penny walked through, looking as if she had been waiting on him. She smiled. "Good, you're here," she said, walking to the couch.

_No sex, Hofstadter,_ Leonard had to remind himself as he sat down next to his girlfriend. "About last night," he started.

"I know," Penny said. She grabbed a small box from the coffee table and held it out to him. "I got you something."

"Really?" Leonard asked, taking the box. "You think buying me something shiny will magically fix everything?" Sure, he had considered it, but it was different now that it was happening.

"It's not shiny," Penny said. "Open it."

Leonard looked down at the box, half-expecting a coupon or something. Inside was a business card. He picked it up. "Dr. Rochelle Michaels, Ph. d.," he read. He lowered it, looking at Penny to finish it. "Couples therapy." He put the card and the box down on the coffee table. "Therapy?"

Penny nodded her head. "I don't want you to give up on me," she said. "I want to be married to you one day. And this could help us get to that point. What do you think?"

Leonard smiled at her. "I think we should give Dr. Michaels a call," he said.

Penny smiled back at him, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Leonard," she said.

Leonard hugged her back. This was a million times better than no sex.

* * *

**Aw, see what I mean by sweet?**

**I just now noticed Bernie wasn't in this chapter, shame on me!**

**Leave reviews and helpful suggestions, I'm always needing it.**

**A lot of my ideas come from my reviews so don't stop**


	15. Chapter 15

**Just as a bit of fair warning, this is by far my favorite chapter**

**Ironic that it has no Lenny in it oops**

**Their time will come**

**You'll see why it's my favorite, really**

**Introduction: Sheldon's brother, yay! **

* * *

Waiting outside Mary Coopers house for Sheldon to knock wasn't agonizing in itself, but the length of time it was taking him to actually do it rather than just stare at the door was.

"We can't say hi if we don't know," Amy said with a forced smile.

Sheldon looked behind him at his fiance. "I know that," he said. "I'm just... taking my time."

"For what?" Amy asked. "It's not like your mother is in there having sex."

"We don't know that," Sheldon said. He shook his head. "But that's not why."

"I know," Amy said understandably. "It's your brother."

Sheldon nodded, looking back at the door. "I haven't spoken with him since I moved to California," he said.

"But that was so long ago," Amy said. "i'm sure he's changed."

"People don't change, Amy," Sheldon said, looking at her once again. "Three years sober. That's the second time in just this decade. It won't last. It never does."

"Just knock, Sheldon," Amy said.

"Fine," Sheldon said. He looked at the door, staring for a few seconds. He lifted his fist, still hesitant. He then knocked twice and lowered his hand, stepping back. "I can't do it," he said after the fact.

"Well, it's a little too late for _that_ now," Amy said.

Sheldon looked at her. "I panicked a littler later than I was expecting," he said. He looked back at the door when it opened.

"Oh, hey, Shelly," Mary said with a smile. "I didn't recognize your knock." She stepped aside. "Come in, come in."

Amy stepped in first, Sheldon following behind her, closing the door.

"This is the first time Shelly has brought a girl home," a male voice said as a man walked down from the stairs. He was wearing jeans, a red plaid shirt, and wire-rimmed glasses. He walked to Amy, holding his hand out. "I'm George Cooper Jr."

Amy smiled. "Sheldon's brother," she said, shaking his hand. "I'm Amy Farrah Fowler."

"The neurobiologist," George said, pointing at her wit ha smile. "Mom has told me so much about you. She adores you." He looked at Sheldon, his smile gone as soon as his head turned. "You know, I wouldn't _have _to hear about her through mom if you didn't shut me out."

"I didn't shut you out," Sheldon said with a shake of his head. "I just moved when you were too drunk to notice, let alone care, and after that I never got around to giving you my phone nubmer or address."

"Excuses," George said. "Well, there's time now, isn't there?"

"No, there's not," Sheldon said. He grabbed Amy's wrist, lifting her left hand to show off the ring. "I'm getting married."

"Nice segue," Amy whispered sarcastically.

Mary smiled as if she were just finding out, though she had known since at least the day before. "It looks so great on you!" she said, refering to the ring.

Sheldon let go of Amy's hand, letting her hold it up on her own for Mary to see. He kept his gaze on George, raising his eyebrows as if to silently say, 'Yeah, that's right, I'm getting married, suck it.'

Mary looked away from the ring on Amy's finger and at sheldon. "I'm about to be honest with you," she said, placing a hand on her sons arm. "I knew you woudl be the last to get married. In fact, I never thought it would actually happen. But look at you now!"

"It's also sooner than I had expected," Amy said with a smile. "I did my calculations wrong, but I don't even care."

Sheldon looked at her, confused. "I've never heard of this before," he said.

Amy looked at him, patting his shoulder with a smile. "Let's keep it that way," she said. She lowered her arm and looked at Mary. "Do you need any help with dinner?"

"No, I don't, but thank you for asking," Mary said. "We had cooked it before. We wanted to be ready for when you got here."

"Is he joining us?" Sheldon asked, pointing at his brother.

"He lives here, Sheldon," Mary said with a nod of her head. "You better be a good boy or you won't be getting any cobbler for dessert."

Sheldon looked over at Amy with a roll of his eyes. "She thinks she can still tell me what to do," he said.

"Now, don't give me that sass, young man," Mary said. "You have until I count to three to apologize."

Sheldon looekd at his mother once again, scoffing as Amy smiled knowingly. "I'm a grown man," he said. "That doesn't work on me anymore."

"Oh, good grief," George said as he went into the dining room.

"One," Mary said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, please," Sheldon said. "When will you learn that I've grown up?"

"Two," Mary continued, ignoring Sheldon's protests.

Sheldon sighed. He always gave in, being a mommy's boy. "I'm sorry," he said under his breath.

"I didn't hear you," Mary said.

Sheldon stared at her for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said louder before walking around Mary and into the dining room.

"He may not be like everyone around him," Mary started, speaking to Amy. "But he's still a man. And men fear us women. Keep that in mind."

* * *

Howard was finishing getting the table ready when Bernadette had gotten back home from work. He decided not to wait for her to bring up the pregnancy, but to do it himself. "Hey, honey," he said with a smile.

Bernadette smiled, putting her purse down as she walked to the dining area. "What's the occasion?" she asked as they sat down.

"Oh, no occasion," Howard said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Just a little something for my wife, who I love _very _much." He reached for a box on the counter that he had put the test in to hide it from her through the day.

"Oh, you got me something?" Bernadette asked. "That's new."

Howard opened the box with a slight shake of his head. "Sort of," eh said. He grabbed the test and held it out to her so she could see.

The smile Bernadette wore immediately went away. "Where did you find that?" she asked.

"The garbage, silly," Howard said with a smile. "I couldn't wait for you to bring it up."

Bernadette smiled at him apologetically. "That's not mine," she admitted.

Howard immediately dropped the test, his smile gone replaced with a look of disgust. "Oh, gross!" he exclaimed.

"But your ok with holding _my_ pee covered pregnancy stick?" Bernadette asked, judging him.

"That's different, you're my _wife_," Howard said. "If it's not yours, then who's is it?"

"A friend," Bernadette said as she made herself a plate of food.

"A mutual friend?" Howard guessed.

"Like Penny?" Bernadette asked, looking at Howard once again.

"That's _not _what I was asking," Howard said. "But, since we're on the subject, is it Penny's?"

Bernadette smiled nervously at him, unable to hide it, but still tried. "Why would it be Penny's?" she asked.

"Penny's pregnant?!" Howard asked, seeing through her lie. She never was good at lying due to her Catholic school upbringing.

"Don't tell Leonard," Bernadette pleaded.

"I don't even want to know anymore," Howard said. "How accurate are these tests?"

"Three out of five are right," Bernadette said.

"That's pretty high," Howard said. "Maybe this is one of the two that are wrong."

"Howie, just face it," Bernadette said. "Penny is pregnant."

"What's she gonna do about it?" Howard asked. "Hide behind furniture for nine months like they do on tv?"

"I'm sure she'll tell him," Bernadette said, though she didn't sound as sure as she thought she did. "Eventually."

"Yeah, or she'll dump him so she won't have to worry about it," Howard said. "She'd rather break Leonard's heart than have an abortion."

"That's a terrible thing to say, Howard," Bernadette said.

"There's another possibility," Howard said, standing up when there was a knock on the door.

"What's that?" Bernadette asked.

"She tells him and they build a family together," Howard said as if it were the scariest horror story in the world. He shook his head, walking to the door. He opened it, seeing a man standing there; a man he didn't know.

"Howard Wolowitz?" he asked.

"That's me," Hwoard said with a nod.

"I'm Chris," the man started before pausing for a few seconds. He took a breath before continuing. "Wolowitz. I'm your half brother."

Howard stared at him for a few long seconds, maybe even a minute. He was unable to form any words, his mouth slowly becoming agape. "Hi," he said finally.

* * *

Amy was in the kitchen, helping Mary clean up after dinner, the two boys forced into the living room to talk things out. Though they just sat on the couch in silence, both of them staring at the tv which wasn't even turned on.

Sheldon sighed and grabbed the remote, turning on the tv. It was better than talking to his brother. He flipped through the channels, noting that his mother _still_ had cable tv. He soon stopped it at rerun college football. He didn't enjoy it, but at least it was something they both understood.

"I know I'm not your ideal brother," George said.

"They only said we had to talk," Sheldon said, keeping his eyes on the tv. "They didn't say we had to talk about _that_."

"What else are we to talk about?" George asked.

Sheldon crossed his arms, leaning back in the couch, avoiding turning his head to look at his brother.

"The silent treatment, really?" George asked. He shook his head as he stood up. "Twice today you've acted like a child." HE looked down at Sheldon. "You really should grow up, Sheldon." He shook his head once again before going up the stairs.

Sheldon slowly uncrossed his arms, his glare vanishing. He had been told many times in his life to 'grow up', but he never saw problems with his actions. He was a grown man. How much more can someone 'grow up'? What was wrong with some of the people in his life?

Amy walked in, breaking hsi train of thought. She sat down on the couch next to him, _real_ close. "How'd it go with your brother?" she asked.

Sheldon looked at her. "Am I immature, Amy?" he asked. "Answer me honestly.

_Why'd it have to be honestly?_ Amy asked in her mind. She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you _are _known for holding grudges," she said.

"I do not!" Sheldon defended.

"Explain Wil Wheaton, then," Amy challenged. "It took you nearly twenty years before you forgave him."

Sheldon shook his head. "_That_ wasn't a grudge," he said.

"Then what was it?" Amy asked.

Sheldon paused for a moment, clearly thinking hard for his answer. "That was a..." he started. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter any more."

Amy rolled her eyes. "What did George say anyways?" she asked.

"He said I should 'grow up'," Sheldon told her with air quotations. "But there is nothing child-like about me."

Amy looked at him knowingly. "Really?" she asked. "_Nothing _child-like... Sheldon, he's not wrong."

"Who's side are you on?" Sheldon asked.

"There _are _no sides, Sheldon," Amy said.

"If you, too, think I should grow up, then you're on his side," Sheldon said. "That's how it works."

Amy took his hand in hers, giving it a welcoming squeeze. "Then I'm on your side," she said. "I'm_ always_ on your side."

Sheldon patted her hand gently. "Thank you, Amy," he said.

They were interrupted by Mary walking in, finished with what she was doing in the kitchen. "Did George go to bed already?" she asked as she sat down.

"I think Sheldon is tired, too," Amy said, looking at her soon to be mother-in-law. "We had a lovely evening."

"Oh, that reminds me," Mary started. "Tomorrow, I'm takin' y'all out to this new Italian place over on Main Street. I think you'll love it."

"Does George work there?" Sheldon asked.

"So what if he does?" Mary asked.

"You do realize that, if we were to go there, he wouldn't be able to serve us," Sheldon said. "If you were just a friend, it would be different."

"When I go to California, I visit _you _at work," Mary said.

Sheldon was quiet for a moment. She had a point. "That's different," eh said.

"And how is it different?" Mary asked. "Enlighten me with your sciencey logic."

"I'm actually doing something productive with my life," Sheldon said. "All he's doing is giving food to people; a simple tool in the workplace for obesity."

"We better go," Amy said, standing up, pulling Sheldon up with her. She didn't want this to get even more awkward than it already was. "Again, we had a lovely evening. Your cooked food is better than any Italian restaurant could have."

"There's no need to suck up, dear," Mary said. "I already love you."

"That's not hard," Sheldon said. He pointed at Amy. "How can you not love this beautiful creature?"

Amy smiled softly at her fiance. "Sheldon..." was all she could get out. That was the first time he had ever used the word beautiful to describe her. It was everything she had ever wanted and more.

Sheldon looked at her, completely oblivious as he always was. "What?" he asked.

Amy shook her head. "Nothing," she said. She looked at Mary. "Thanks again for the food. I look forward to tomorrow." She followed Sheldon as they went out the door.

* * *

That evening, Raj had invited Howard and Leonard and their respective girlfriends-or wife, in Howard's case-over to Sheldon and Amy's place-with Sheldon's permission-for a night of D&D with him and Alli.

"I'm still not sure if Howard likes me," Alli said, putting a six pack of beer besides the coffee table.

"Oh, he doesn't," Raj said honestly with a shake of his head. He looked at Alli. "But I like you and he's my friend. He's willing to try for me."

"That's actually really sweet," Alli said. She gestured to the get-up in front of her. "I've never played Dungeons and Dragons before, admittedly. How does it work?"

Raj sat down next to her. "Well, you're given an adventure and a turn," he started. "You say what you want to do and dice are rolled. It then determines whether or not what you did in your turn did anything."

"Kinda simple," Alli said, making a face. She was used to mind games like Sudoku.

"It is, but it's fun," RAj said. "Even Penny enjoyed playing. Once she was drunk enough."

"Good thing we have alcohol," Alli said with a smile.

Raj smiled back at her. "I'm really glad you gave me a second chance," he said. "I really do like you." He lifted a finger. "But I have a question."

Alli shrugged. "Sure, ask away," she said.

"When we met, you said you didn't drink," Raj started. "And I've never seen another woman drink as much as Penny does as you do."

Alli smiled at him. "I lied," she said. "I was scared you might possibly roofie me or something."

Raj shrugged. "That happens more than you'd think," he said. There was a knock on the door. "I should get that." He stood up and walked to the door, opening it, seeing Howard and Bernadette.

"I have arrived with my dungeon master mood," Howard said as he and his wife walked in.

"Actually," Raj said as he closed the door. "I was thinking about mastering for a change."

Howard groaned, turning around to look at him. "The last time you were the dungeon master, we threw a party for an ogre," he said. "And then, after the fact, that same ogre killed us all mercilessly."

"I put together a great adventure," Raj said.

"Howie, just let him do it," Bernadette said. "Let him impress his new friend!" She smiled, sitting down.

"Oh, I know dungeon mastering doesn't impress pretty ladies," Raj said, sitting at the chair.

"Nerdy things turn me on," Alli said.

Raj looked at her. "Then I will be the nerdiest man you know," he said.

Howard sat on the couch next to Bernadette. "Penny won't be coming," he said. "She has to finish off her movie and will be working pretty late."

"When will Leonard be here?" Raj asked as he finished up his station.

"Oh, he's not coming, either," Howard said. "They start couples therapy tomorrow and he's real nervous about it. He thinks the doctor will tell them they aren't meant to be and that they need to break up."

"So, I guess that means we're ready," RAj said. He looked at Alli. "You have to think up a character."

"Can I be a fairy?" Alli asked with a smile.

"I want to be a fairy!" Bernadette said excitedly.

"Oh, god, they're such girls," Howard muttered, leaning back. "This is gonna be a long night."

* * *

Amy was once again laying in bed, reading Pride and Prejudice while Sheldon was sitting at the desk 'putting some finishing touches on a paper', but Amy knew that he was really playing Star Wars Online. He couldn't fool her. She could hear a grunt of victory every so often, chuckling to herself. He was adorable.

"What's tonight's fun fact?" she asked, closing the book and putting on the side table.

"Can it be Star Wars related?" Sheldon asked, not looking up from his game.

"I know you're playing it online," Amy said.

Sheldon immediately closed his laptop, turning the chair to look at her. "In the first film," he started, clasping his hands together between his knees. "A New Hope, not The Phantom Menace." He stood up, walking to his side of the bed. "Darth Vader has only a total of twelve minutes of screen time."

"Wow, that_ is_ an interesting fact," Amy said sarcastically. She still found the movies to be stupid and childish, but it was something Sheldon was passionate about and she liked that.

Sheldon grinned as he sat down on the bed, bending over to untie his shoes. "Isn't it?" he asked.

"You know, your mother doesn't have to know what goes on in this bed," Amy said, attempting to be flirtatious.

"What on _Earth_ would we do on this bed that she would care about?" Sheldon asked, taking his shoes off.

"Exactly," Amy said with a slight smirk.

"Amy, I don't know-" Sheldon started, looking to his right at his girlfriend, stopping when it dawned at him. Finally he could understand. He gulped ever so slightly. "Am, we agreed-"

"I know," Amy said. "I just thought it would be nice."

"To have sex in a hotel?" Sheldon asked.

"A pretty classy hotel at that," Amy said. "I mean, there's a bidet in the bathroom! A _bidet_! I won't use it, but I feel classier knowing it's there."

Sheldon climbed into the bed, propped against his arm, leaning closer to Amy. "I'm not quite there yet," he told her. "But, soon we'll be married, and I'm bound to be ready by then."

"Say it again," Amy said. "My name on that day."

Sheldon leaned closer to her. "Amy," he stated, his face merely inches away from her own. "Farrah." Their eyes closed simultaneously as he continued to speak silently. "Fowelr."

Amy could feel her breathing become erratic, but tried to calm it as much as she could.

"Cooper," he said, barely getting the whole word out before he closed the gap between them, giving her the warmest kiss that she had ever been given.

"Sheldon," she said quietly into the kiss. "I have to..." She put a hand on his shoulder, griping the fabric of his superhero t-shirt, not really wanting him to stop. "Get ready... for bed."

Sheldon continued to kiss her, he didn't care of what she had to do at this moment. Neither of them made a sound, they just relished in the moment. In the kiss.

That was when she heard a familiar pop of a button, feeling Sheldon's hands against her cardigan, slowly undoing it, one button at a time, the feeling of his hands so gentle against her.

"A-are you sure?" Amy stuttered out, still not breaking the kiss.

Sheldon then proceeded to kiss down her jawline, which was unusual for him, but Amy didn't mind, she liked it. He pushed the sleeve of her cardigan off her shoulder. "Yes," he said as he placed his lips against her neck, his breath giving her goosebumps.

Amy pulled him back up to look at her. They stared at each other like that for a moment. He wasn't even shaking. That was new. She pulled him in for another kiss, never wanting the night to end.

* * *

"You find yourself in a dark forest," Raj was saying to start the game. "Dimly lit by the fairy dust of Allison the Bright." He looked at Alli, winking at her, getting a giggle in return.

"Why can't this night end?" Howard said.

"Dude, stop ruining this for everyone," Raj said. "As I was saying... You find yourself in a-"

"We heard this already," Howard interrupted.

"Go easy on him," Bernadette told Raj, gently rubbing her husbands knee. "He's had a rough day."

Raj looked at his friend. "Do you want to talk about it?" eh asked.

"No," Howard said, standing up. "I do _not _want to talk about my problems. I just want a quiet night of D&D."

"He has a half brother," Bernadette said.

"He's dead," Howard said quietly, sitting back down.

"Your half brother?" Raj asked.

"My dad," Howard said, barely able to get the words out.

That was when the room grew silent.

"I got his letter three months too late," Howard said, looking down at his hands. "He explained that he had cancer and wanted to..." He swallowed to hold back the tears. "That he wanted to make amends."

No one knew what to say. What _could_ be said?

"And I couldn't forgive him," Howard said, looking up once again.

Alli looked at Raj. "I guess the nights over," she whispered.

* * *

**Bet you never saw _that_ coming**

**Leave your reviews and let me know what you thought**

**Though I know what they'll all be about -wink wink-**


	16. Chapter 16

**Goddammit, I've been taking too long to update my fics**

**I am aware I haven't updated my Shenny fic in so long, but it doesn't matter this one is more important.**

**I have a huge idea for a future chapter that will make you guys hate me for sure**

**But this one won't :)**

**Time for Shamy sexy night aftermath**

* * *

The next morning, Amy was awakened by the sound of Sheldon attempting to do things around the room silent, though he was failing, his feet shuffling against the carpeted floor. She opened her eyes and looked at the clock, grabbing her glasses and putting them on. Ten-thirty.

She stopped herself from climbing out of bed, looking down at the comforter covering her body. She lifted it, seeing she wasn't wearing anything. She lowered it again, a smile on her face. The night before hadn't been a dream. She clutched the dark brown comforter to her body instinctively when she saw Sheldon look her way.

"Morning," he greeted, sitting on the bed at her feet. He was wearing his usual khakis and a Flash t-shirt, though he wasn't wearing his flannel, which was unusual.

"Morning," Amy said in return. She sat up, still holding the comforter against her. "Last night _was_ real, right?" Of course she had to make sure.

Sheldon nodded his head, rubbing his hand gently against her leg through the thick fabric. "I don't even know why I waited so long," he said.

"And then you just couldn't wait one more year," Amy said with a smirk on her face. She leaned forward, kissing him, feeling the smile he wore on his lips. She pulled away after a few seconds, nuzzling her nose against his before leaning away.

Sheldon patted her knee, standing up. "Get dressed," he said. "Tanya wants you to meet her family. She's eager to show off the future Mrs. Sheldon Cooper."

"How many families am I marrying into?" Amy asked jokingly as Sheldon handed her his robe. She put it on, tying it around her waist. It was big on her, but comfortable. It smelt just like him, too: talc.

It was intoxicating.

Sheldon walked to the dresser, opening the top drawer on the right in which Amy had claimed as her own, as Amy went into the closet to get her outfit. "Leonard called this morning," he said, grabbing what she needed.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, laying her outfit on the bed.

Sheldon looked up at her, her undergarments in his hand. "Rushing the process," he said, putting on the bed, closing the drawer with a bump of his hip. He snapped his fingers together, pointing at the bathroom. "We're wasting time."

Amy stared at him. "One time and you already know how it works under all this?" she asked, gesturing to the clothes on the bed.

"I have an eidtic memory, Amy," Sheldon said. "It only takes one time. Now, hurry."

"What did Leonard want?" Amy asked, steering back to his previous statement.

Sheldon sat down on the bed, looking up at Amy. "Howard's father passed away," he said. He shook his head. "He isn't taking it too well."

"That's terrible," Amy said. "We should call him."

"And why should we do that?" Sheldon asked.

"Because he's our friend," Amy said. "And we should console him."

Sheldon shook his head. "I don't consider Wolowitz a friend," he said obnoxiously.

Amy sat down next to him. "What is your problem?" she asked.

"Pardon?" Sheldon asked, tilting his head to the side slightly in confusion.

"For as long as I've known you, you've treated Howard like dirt," Amy said.

"He should be so lucky," Sheldon said, standing up, but was immediately pulled back down by Amy. "Now what?"

"I wasn't finished," Amy said.

"We have to hurry, though," Sheldon said. "Tanya-"

"She can wait," Amy interrupted.

"Amy, I had coitus with you," Sheldon said. "This is a very big milestone, not only in my life, but yours as well. Don't you think our day should be spent rejoicing over the fact and not talking about Wolowitz and his petty problems?"

Amy knew he had a point. A good point at that. She nodded her head. "You're right," she said. "But this conversation is far from over." She stood up. "I'm gonna get in the shower now."

"I'm not joining you," Sheldon said.

Amy stared at him. "I wasn't asking you to," she said.

"Just stating my boundaries," Sheldon said.

Amy stared at him for a few seconds more before turning and going into the bathroom with her things.

* * *

Leonard walked into the kitchen, straight to the coffee pot to prepare some coffee for when Penny got up. He looked at the table when his iPad lit up to let him know someone was trying to video chat with him via FaceTime.

He picked it up, seeing it was Sheldon. That was odd, he never video called Leonard. He answered the call, sitting down when Sheldon's face appeared on the screen. Even three states away he could bug him. "Hi, Sheldon," he said.

"It has been pointed out to me-" Sheldon started, not even saying his hellos.

"You did a bad thing," Leonard said, knowing Sheldon a little too well.

Sheldon gave him a look before starting over his train of thought. "It has been pointed out to me," he started once again, speaking a little more quickly so as not to be interrupted again. "That I should be more empathetic towards Howard."

Leonard nodded his head. "Yeah, that's no secret," he said. Sheldon never wanted to talk about Howard, there was obviously something else going on. "So, _why_ are you calling me?"

"I was using Howard to pull a Howard," Sheldon said. "Telling you something irrelevant to bring up a subject that is actually relevant."

"And what is that subject?" Leonard asked, rolling his eyes slightly.

"I did something so unlike my character, Leonard," Sheldon said, looking as if he were trying not to smile like a giddy little boy.

"Yeah," Leonard said with a nod of his head. "You video called me."

"Nooo," Sheldon said, shaking his head. "This is different."

Leonard hated Sheldon's guessing games. "I don't know, Sheldon," he said. "I never know! Did you put on your Wednesday pajamas last night?"

Sheldon lifted a finger. "Ah," he said, leaning against his own tablet. "I didn't put on any pajamas last night." He raised his brows as a sign that was Leonard's last clue.

Leonard still didn't understand, but he paused to think about it, knowing he'll get it eventually. He looked back at the screen, his eyes wide with realization. "Oh, my god!" he exclaimed. "You and Amy had sex!"

Penny instantly ran into the room, apparently she had been listening in the whole time. She sat down next to Leonard. "What's this about Shamy sex?" she asked.

Sheldon turned his head, looking behind him, a smile on his face. He looked back at the screen. "Now she's singing Walking on Sunshine in the shower," he said. "Isn't she a doll?"

Penny took the iPad from Leonard, walking into the living room to basically force Leonard to finish the coffee. "Do I get any details?" she asked, sitting down on the brown couch.

"No," Sheldon said with a shake of his head. "You're in my spot."

"Really?" Penny asked. "This is _my_ house, and you're in Texas." Sheldon stared at her and, after a few seconds, Penny sighed and moved over.

"Did you use protection?" she asked.

"We're smarter than that, Penny," Sheldon said, his facial expression telling her he wished this conversation would end.

Penny wouldn't have taht. "Just checking," she said. "Was it as good as you expected it to be?"

"I didn't know _what _to expect out of it," Sheldon said. "I never imagine things like this happening." He turned his head again, Leonard sitting down on the couch next to Penny. He looked back at the screen. "Can we change the subject?"

"Who are you talking to?" they could hear Amy ask off camera.

"Leonard and Penny," Sheldon answered, smiling once again when Amy came into view to see the two of them, wet hair and wearing Sheldon's robe.

Amy waved, smiling wider than Sheldon, but no one expected less. "Hey, guys," she said gleefully.

"I demand details later," Penny said, pointing at Amy.

Leonard looked at his watch. He sighed, looking at Penny. "We gotta go," he said. He looked at the screen to explain to Sheldon and Amy. "Couples therapy: day one! Yay!" HE threw his fists into the air sarcastically as he stood up, going up the stairs.

"Don't mind him," Penny said. "He's nervous."

Sheldon shook his head. "I don't care," he said, ending the call before anything else could be said.

Penny stared at the screen for a moment, confused by what had just happened. "Ok," she said slowly. "I guess I don't get any deets yet."

She looked around the empty room. "Stop talking to yourself," she said aloud, putting the iPad down.

* * *

Sheldon was showing Amy around Tanya's home, pointing out little things here and there. She found it adorable how excited he was to be showing her his past.

He stopped at the fridge, which was a little out-dated, but it didn't look like anybody cared. He was staring at a photograph that was held on by a magnet in the shape of Texas.

Amy looked, seeing it was a young woman, probably taken in the nineties, brown hair, blond streaks, high-rise jeans and a white t-shirt. "Miranda?" she asked.

Sheldon nodded his head, looking at Amy. "Shortly before we met," he said.

"She was cute," Amy pointed out.

Sheldon shrugged his skinny shoulders. "If you notice those things," he said.

Tanya spoke up from behind them. How long she had been there, neither of them knew. "You can keep it if you want," she said.

Sheldon looked at her. "Really?" he asked.

Tanya nodded. "I have plenty," she said.

Sheldon looked at Amy as if asking for permission.

"She was your oldest friend," Amy said. "You should have something to remember her by."

Sheldon removed the magnet and grabbed the picture, stuffing it into his back pocket. "What's next?" he asked rhetorically, thinking out loud.

"Do you want to see her?" Tanya asked. "I can drive you over to the cemetery."

Sheldon looked at her. "Visiting grave sites is useless," he said.

"I think it's a great idea," Amy said.

"Me, too, let's go," Sheldon said immediately.

* * *

Sheldon stood at the grave site with Amy, holding her hand as they stared at the headstone. Tanya was waiting back at the car.

"I don't see-" Sheldon started.

"Just talk to her," Amy interrupted, eager to get some kind of emotion out of him about the loss of a friend. "Like you've always talked to her."

"You mean the same way I talk to everyone I know," Sheldon said, looking at his girlfriend. Amy gestured to the headstone. He sighed, looking forward once again. He pointed at Amy. "This is Amy. My fiance." He shook his head, letting go of Amy's hand. "I can't do it," he said, turning around and heading back to the car.

"Can't do what?" Amy asked, following close behind him.

"Doesn't matter," Sheldon said. "I can't do it." He stopped at the car, opening a door for Amy. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't continue the questioning."

Amy respected what he wanted out of her and nodded her head. "Alright," she said. She gave Sheldon one last glance before climbing into the car.

* * *

Leonard was leaning against the arm of the chair as Penny chatted it up with the therapist. Their session hadn't even begun yet. They were just talking about shoes. That was the annoying part. Typical girls.

Dr. Michaels immediately entered professional mode once their hour had officially begun. "So, what's the problem?" she asked. Not a very professional question.

Penny looked at Leonard then back at Michaels. "I have commitment issues," she said. "Like big time."

"And that's an understatement," Leonard pitched in.

"This is often the problem with couples that come in here," Michaels started explaining. "We often go to the root of the problem."

Penny nodded her head. "Reality tv," she said. "It's a bitch."

"Childhood," Michaels corrected.

"Oh," Penny said slowly. "That... makes more sense."

Michaels looked at Leonard. "And yourself?" she asked. "Do you have commitment issues?"

"I propose all the time," Leonard said. "I'm beyond ready."

"And mine was an understatement?" Penny asked bitterly.

Leonard looked at her. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

Penny looked at Leonard. "You're _too _ready," she said. "I feel like I'm being rushed into marriage. Like I have no choice whether we get married or not."

"Of course you have a choice," Leonard said.

"Good, good, talk," Michaels said, putting her attention on her phone.

Some therapist.

"And, to prove it," Leonard started. "I'm gonna let you make the choice right now!"

"There you go again!" Penny said. "Forcing me to choose right on the spot!"

"What do you want from me?" Leonard asked, tired of her never being satisfied.

"Nothing!" Penny blurted out, leaving the room in silence. She hadn't even thought before she spoke. She could see the expression on his face change from anger to hurt and she mentally punched herself in the gut. "Leonard," she said. "That's not what I meant."

Leonard shook his head, standing up. "I'm done here," he said, about to leave.

Penny grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don't," she pleaded.

Leonard looked down at her. "I think we need a break," he said quietly.

Penny could never imagine their relationship taking this turn. Never thought Leonard would get so fed up to actually end it himself.

"I'm not breaking up with you," Leonard said, knowing her thoughts. "I just... need some time to think."

"Leonard," Penny said, standing up, unsure of what other words she could possibly say.

"Call me when you _know_ what you want," Leonard said. "But don't take too long." He shook his head. "I can't wait for you forever." He leaned forward, planting a kiss on her cheek, lingering a few seconds longer than planned. He pulled away, leaving the room.

"And _that's _how therapy works," Michaels commented from her desk.

* * *

The table was quiet as Sheldon, Amy, and Mary sat in the Italian restaurant in complete silence, seeming like no one wanted to say a word.

"Who knew George was the talkative one," Amy said with a smile to break the ice.

Mary smiled as she looked at the two. "How was your night?" she asked.

The question caught Sheldon off guard, causing him to choke on his food. He coughed a few times, a hand on his chest. Amy handed him his water and he drunk some until he was better. "Thank you," he managed out, putting the glass down on the table.

"Are you alright?" Mary asked, worried.

"Quite," Sheldon said with a single nod, wiping his mouth with the napkin from his lap.

"We had a great night," Amy said to answer Mary's question appropriately. "Thank you for asking."

"I'm glad," Mary said with a smile. "Do you have plans for Friday night?"

Sheldon looked up at Amy. "That's what we were forgetting," he said, surprisingly sarcastic. He shook his head, returning to his food.

"We haven't made any plans," Amy said.

"Good," Mary said. "George's-"

"That never ends well," Sheldon said, looking up once again.

"His AA meeting is having a costume party this Friday," Mary said, ignoring Sheldon's rude interruption. "It would mean a lot to him if you were to go."

Amy smiled, looking at Sheldon. She didn't care for dressing in costumes, but Sheldon loved it. "You love costume parties," she said.

"Is there going to be a contest?" Sheldon asked.

"I believe so," Mary answered with a nod of her head.

"A costume party with a contest and no alcohol," Amy said. "It's your dream party."

"It is," Sheldon said. He bit his lower lip slightly as he thought. He shook his head. "Can't go."

"And why not?" Mary asked.

"Because George will be there," Sheldon said with no shame, returning to his pasta.

Amy looked at him for a few seconds in silence. "We'll go," she said, looking back at Mary and getting a glare from Sheldon, but she didn't care.

"He'll be happy to hear that," Mary said, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go 'freshen up' a bit." She smiled once before walking away.

Sheldon looked at Amy. "I don't want to go," he said.

"But, I do," Amy said. "And you had sex with me so I'll dress up as whatever you want me to."

"It's that easy?" Sheldon asked in shock.

Amy nodded her head. "Pretty much," she said.

"I should have done that a long time ago, then," Sheldon said. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to go. Princess Leia?" He grinned at her.

Amy smiled softly in return, nodding her head. "Princess Leia, it is," she said.

* * *

Howard and Bernadette were once again spending the evening at the apartment with Raj and, because he won't ever let her leave apparently, Alli. Howard kept mostly to himself. Raj and Bernadette were cooking. And Alli sat on the far side of the couch in an uncomfortable silence.

"Did you know Alli graduated from CalTech?" Raj asked.

"No, that's neat," Bernadette said with a smile.

They all looked at the door when it opened and Penny walked in, walking to the fridge without a word. She grabbed a beer and turned around, looking at Raj and Bernadette who stood on either side of her.

"Rough day?" Bernadette asked.

"Yes," Penny said as she opened the bottle. She took a swig of the liquid even though she knew better than to drink alcohol in her predicament. "Leonard basically wants me to beg him to take him back."

"He dumped you?" Raj asked.

"No, we're just taking a break," Penny said. "But, he might end up giving up on me."

"He won't do that," Howard said, participating in the conversation even though he didn't feel up to it. "It took to long to get you."

"What if I'm never ready?" Penny asked.

Bernadette couldn't take it any longer and took the bottle away from Penny before she caused any serious damage. "You know that's a bad idea, Penny," she said, putting the bottle down beside her.

"I don't care anymore!" Penny said.

"What's going on?" Raj asked.

Penny looked at him and spoke without thinking once again. "I'm pregnant!" she said, surprising Raj.

"Does Leonard know?" Raj asked.

"No," Penny said. "And if I were to ask him to marry me, he'd say yes, I'd tell him, he'd think that's the reason why and it'll be a huge problem. So I plan on never telling him."

"Called it," Howard said unenthusiastically.

Penny walked over to Howard, sitting on the couch next to him. "How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Better," Howard said. "They're having a a memorial service in the middle of the week. I'm gonna go. I owe that much to him."

"I can't," Bernadette said. "I've got a microbiology convention in Malibu that I'm taking Alli to."

"I can go," Raj said.

"You're joining us," Alli said.

"I can't go," Raj said with a shake of his head.

Penny put her arm around Howard, leaning her head against his shoulder to comfort him. Maybe a year ago, she would never be this close to him, but with how much he had changed since meeting Bernadette, she felt surprisingly more comfortable around him. "I'm really sorry, Howard," she said.

"Thanks," Howard said, looking at her. "Means a lot to know how much you all care."

"We'll always be here for you," Penny said. "Always."

* * *

**I've always wanted a friendship like this between Howard and Penny and the show isn't giving it to me so I guess I'll write it**

**A lot happened this chapter**

**Can't figure out which is my favorite: Lenny drama or Sheldon choking (I laughed when writing that one)**

**Costume party will be fun, so you better look forward to that**

**Leave reviews and helpful tips**

**And I'll try to update more often.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the somewhat long wait for this chapter. I got sick earlier in the week and I just started feeling ok enough to write.b**

**But enough about me, let's get to my favorite (yes a new favorite) chapter**

**Also, boo and yay to the finale. Mixed feelings lol**

* * *

Sheldon was the first to wake up the following day. He turned his head to look at Amy sleeping next to him, laying on her side, her right arm hanging off the edge of the bed, her hair completly ruffled, hiding her face from him. But, still, he couldn't help smiling, the image before him being the best in the world. And he had her all to himself.

He would never hear the end of it if he were to ever say it with Amy in earshot.

And, even though he didn't want to, he gently shook her shoulder attempting to wake her. "Amy," he whispered to prove he could try harder, but why try when he could just watch her sleep?

Amy groaned, pushing him away as best she could. "Let me sleep," she mumbled

"We have to shop for costumes," Sheldon said. "The earlier the better."

Amy rolled onto her back and looked at Sheldon. "Just _how_ early is it, exactly?" she asked.

Sheldon was afraid to answer that question. "That part doesn't matter," he said.

Amy groaned once more, rolling back onto her side. "Wake me again at a reasonable hour," she said.

"Oh, but now is reasonable," Sheldon insisted. "_Please_."

Sheldon was no stranger to begging. And Amy was no stranger to giving in to said beg. She sighed, grabbing her glasses. She turned to look at Sheldon once again. "Alright," she said. "How many costume shops are we going to?"

"I know of five that sell great Star Wars costumes," Sheldon said. "Though, we're only going to two. They're pricey, but worth it."

"Sheldon, how in the hell is 'pricey' worth it?" Amy asked.

"Because," Sheldon started, trailing off a little to think as he was ab-libing his argument. "You love me and I love Star Wars." Amy just stared at him. "Oh, come on, you said you'd do it yesterday!"

"Yeah, I'm already regretting that," Amy said under her breath as she climbed out of the bed.

Sheldon stood up, following behind her. "You won't regret it for much longer," he said. "If you just gave this costume a chance, you might just like it so much, you'll want to know Leia's story and watch the movies."

Amy chuckled slightly. "Not a chance," she said. She stopped and turned around, nearly causing Sheldon to run into her before he stopped. "Listen, I'll do this for you. I'll be happy that you're happy to do a couples costume with me. I'll be happy for the reason why I'm doing it. _But_ I don't have to be happy about what exactly I'm doing."

Sheldon nodded his head once. "I'll take that," he said.

That had caught Amy off guard. How much _had_ he changed since they started dating? "Ok," she said. "Plans for the rest of the day?"

"I'll be taking you by my sister's house," Sheldon said. "I don't talk to her often, but what she's heard from my mother, she already adores you just the same."

"What about her husband?" Amy asked.

"What about him?" Sheldon asked.

Amy smiled. Sure, he could be a little heartless sometimes, but that made him him. "It sounds nice," she said, continuing on. "I'll also get to meet your little nephew."

"Why would you want to?" Sheldon asked, leaning against the door jamb and crossing his arms as Amy walked into the bathroom.

"Because," Amy started, turning around to look at him again. "It's a baby _and _he's a baby related to you. "And, as a warning, I might end up bugging you about post-wedding babies between us."

"Oh, dear lord," Sheldon muttered as he walked away.

* * *

Penny entered the house that morning quietly. She had spent the previous night in Amy's room, afraid to come home. She wasn't even sure if she should show up at this very moment. She stopped in the kitchen when she saw Leonard eating a bowl of cereal at the table.

"Hi," she breathed out, trying her hardest not to whisper, but ended up failing.

Thankfully, Leonard had heard her. "Hi," he said in return. He pointed at the box of Cheerios. "Want some?"

"Is a lifelong commitment required to participate?" Penny asked.

Leonard took a deep breath through his nose, clearly not wanting to end up fighting again. "No," he said.

Penny sat down at the table, grabbing the box. She poured the cereal into the bowl that was surprisingly-and conveniently-already there. Had he been expecting her to return? She reached for the soy milk when Leonard placed his hand atop of hers. "Leonard," she started.

"Hear me out," Leonard said. "These last eighteen hours without you has been hell. And, I swear, if you dump me, I'll no longer have a reason to live."

"Dump _you_?" Penny asked. "Why would I do that? I'm worried you're going to dump me. And, honestly, I might deserve it."

"Why?" Leonard asked, rubbing his thumb against the palm of her hand. She loved it when he did that. "I'll admit it, sticking with you is hard. But the thought of breaking it off is hard. And that will never happen."

Penny smiled at him, taking his hand in both of hers. "Let's get married," she said.

"Really?" Leonard asked, sounding ecstatic, but immediately went to suspicious. "Why?"

"Because it's about time I start making some smart decisions with my life," Penny said. "Marrying you is the smartest thing I can think of."

"_Smart_ decision?" Leonard asked. "So, I'm your bran muffin?"

Penny was confused yet again in this relationship. It was almost too common at this point. "What?" she asked.

"A bran muffin," Leonard said once again to begin explaining. "Good for your body. A _smart decision_. But that's not what I want. I want to be a bad decision. Like a pop tart!"

"Oh, my god," Penny said, letting go of his hand and standing up. "I ask you to marry me and this is what I get? The type of breakfast pastry you are doesn't matter!"

Leonard stood up, walking around the table to her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I over think and sometimes I can't stop whatever comes out of my mouth. Let's try this again. What do you want?"

"You, you stupid pop tart!" Penny exclaimed, gesturing her hands out towards him.

Leonard grew quiet after the words came out of her mouth. "Oh," he said slowly. "Then, uh... yes."

"Great," Penny said just as slowly. She walked over to the table, sitting down once again.

"That was kinda anti-climatic," Leonard noticed.

"Yeah," Penny agreed with a nod.

"Just a sec," Leonard said, pulling his wallet out of his pocket, Penny watching him with interest. He opened it and pulled out a ring.

"When did you get a ring?" Penny asked.

"A couple years ago," Leonard said. "Shortly after we got back together. Just recently I've been waiting for the right moment. I guess now is it." He got down on one knee in front of Penny, holding out the diamond ring. "Penny," he started. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh, my god, Leonard," Penny said, starting to tear up. "Yes."

Leonard put the ring on her left hand and stood up, wrapping his arms around her as they shared a celebratory kiss.

* * *

Sheldon and Amy sat on the living room couch in an empty silence with Missy's husband, John, as Missy herself was cooking dinner in the kitchen. Amy watched as John held the baby, Lee, named after Sheldon. Sheldon wasn't thrilled by that fact, but Amy found it adorable.

"Wanna hold him?" John asked.

Amy could literally feel Sheldon's eyes roll into the back of his head as she quickly nodded. "I do," she said.

John stood up and walked over to Amy, carefully handing Lee over.

Amy looked down at the baby, a smile on her face. "Sheldon..." she said. "Isn't he beautiful?"

Sheldon, after trying to avoid looking at the toddler, lifted his head and looked at Amy when she spoke to him. He paused when he saw just how she looked holding the 'small bundle of joy', as Missy called him, in her arms. He cleared his throat, standing up. "I'm going to help Missy in the kitchen," he said.

Amy looked up at him, worry in her eyes. "Are you sick?" she asked.

Sheldon looked down at her. "What is your reasoning behind this baffling hypothesis?" he asked.

"You don't care for cooking," Amy said. "Much less helping someone else cook."

Sheldon stopped to think over her words. He slowly nodded his head as he sat down once again. "You're right," he said. He waved his hand towards the kitchen. "You go help."

"I will," Amy said with a nod. She handed Lee to Sheldon before standing up and going into the kitchen.

Sheldon held Lee away from him at arm's length, awkwardly staring at the young child. "Take him back," he begged to John.

"I would," John started. "If you weren't so darn tootin' adorable holding an infant."

"Darn tootin'?" Sheldon asked. "Really? You're from Wisconsin. Take him back."

When John stood up once again, Missy called for him from the kitchen. "Hold on," he said, leaving the room to join his wife. "What?"

"Nothin'," Missy said, thinking Sheldon couldn't hear her from the other room. "Just wanted to see what Shelly would do."

"I can hear you talking in there," Sheldon said, looking at the door to the kitchen.

Amy walked back out, a smile on her face. "You know," she started, sitting down next to Sheldon, taking Lee from him, holding him closely to her. "You used to want to have a baby with me."

"Yes, but for the help of human kind and the future as a species," Sheldon defended. "And not through sex and you wouldn't be pregnant. Through a surrogate. Just like a homosexual couple."

"So you're saying we're just like two gay men?" Amy asked.

"In a way, yes," Sheldon answered.

"You really don't want to have kids with me?" Amy asked. "And now not even a test tube baby? Sheldon, we have... well, we _had_-" She paused, lowering her voice. "-sex once. I think we're past this."

"I'd rather not talk about this right now," Sheldon said.

Amy could tell the topic was making him uncomfortable and she could understand that, but she had warned him before they even came here, and there was no way she was just going to end it like that. "No, we're talking about this," she said. "Now. I want a family. And I don't care if it's not as perfect as you think you are."

"_Think_?" Sheldon asked, offended.

"I don't want to fight, Sheldon," Amy said. "Can't you have a civil conversation with me for a change?"

Sheldon was quiet for a moment, glancing down at Lee once more, the words he was going to say trailing off. He spoke once more without thinking. "Family scares me," he said.

"Why?" Amy asked.

Sheldon looked back up at her. "I can relate to Howard," he said. "Why he is now afraid to become a father."

"Because he's afraid he might turn into his own," Amy said. "Sheldon, do you think you'll become a drunk?"

"I have very few memories of my father sober," Sheldon said. "And my brother turned out to be a drunk as well. And normally it's hereditary."

Amy had never seen this side of Sheldon before. So open. So vulnerable. "That's why you don't drink alcohol," she said.

"Oh, there's many reasons for that," Sheldon said. "Most of it is because I promised my mother. But I'm slowly breaking all the promises I made to her."

"You should go to Michigan with Howard," Amy said. "Go to the memorial service."

"Why?" Sheldon asked, legitimately confused by her suggestion.

"You said it yourself, you can relate to him," Amy said. "So go with him."

Sheldon looked away, leaning back on the couch. "But there's a difference between me and Howard," he said. "I looked up to my father while he hated his."

"Sheldon," Amy said, getting her fiance to look at her once again. "Go with him."

"I suppose that it would be the right thing to do," Sheldon said, giving in. "But I won't be happy with it." He was using Amy's words about the costume party against her.

"It's a memorial service," Amy said. "You're not supposed to be happy about it."

Missy walked in with a Texan mug, a tea bag inside. She held it out to Sheldon. "Because you're upset," she said, revealing that she had been listening in.

Sheldon looked up at his twin sister. "I don't need your pity," he said.

"Well, then, I guess I'll drink it," Missy said, turning around to leave.

"Wait," Sheldon said, making Missy stop and turn to him. "What kind is it?"

"Green," Missy said. "With peppermint and cinnamon."

Sheldon nodded his head towards the kitchen. "You tried," he said.

"Take the tea, Shelly," Missy demanded.

Sheldon took the mug from her and watched as she returned to the kitchen. He looked at Amy. "She's moody without being pregnant," he commented.

* * *

"This is weird, right?" Howard asked, referring to the iPad that was propped on the couch at Sheldon's spot. Sheldon and Amy were bot on the screen sitting close by-closer than they normally would be.

"What makes it weird?" Sheldon asked. "I feel as if I'm already home!"

"No, he's right, it's weird," Penny said, reaching forward and grabbing a slice of pizza from off the table.

"You're having pizza night without me?" Sheldon asked, giving Penny a look.

"Practically every night over here has been pizza night," Penny said, standing up. "Easiest food to get. Tonight was just convenient."

"I'm surprised you know what 'convenient' means," Sheldon said.

Penny smiled at the iPad. "Oh, Sheldon, I've missed you and your insulting little statements," she said, sounding sincere, walking into the kitchen.

"See, now that's what's weird," Amy said. "What's wrong with her?"

Leonard shrugged his shoulders, a smile of his own on his face. "In a good mood, I guess," he said.

"Then why is she putting pickles on her pizza?" Amy asked, pointing past Leonard towards the kitchen.

Leonard looked behind him, seeing Penny putting the jar of pickles back into the fridge. "Penny?" he asked.

Penny walked back over to the wooden chair next to him. "Been craving this all day," she said, sitting down and taking a bite of her custom pizza.

"Speaking of today," Leonard started, looking back at the rest of the group.

"Excellent segue, Leonard," Sheldon interrupted, as if he had been waiting for someone to say those exact words. "Howard, I need to speak with you."

Howard groaned, but picked up the iPad anyways. "What?" he asked.

"When exactly is the memorial service for your recently deceased father?" Sheldon asked.

"Wednesday," Howard answered.

Sheldon smiled and looked at Amy. "Halo night in Michigan!" he said.

"What are you saying?" Howard asked, fearing the worst.

Sheldon looked forward once again. "I'm going with you!" he said as if Howard had just won the lottery.

Though he didn't feel like he just won. Howard looked at Bernadette. "Oh, no," he said with dread.

"Oh, but I'll be a delight," Sheldon said.

Howard looked back at Sheldon. "Like you always are?" he asked with sarcasm.

Sheldon nodded his head, not catching it. "Exactly!" he said.

"Sheldon, I appreciate Amy making you do this," Howard said. He knew this because Sheldon would never suggest it on his own. "But I'm fine. I don't need company."

"Howard, please," Sheldon said. "Not, put us down. Leonard wanted to speak."

Howard sighed in annoyance, but complied, putting the iPad down so Sheldon and Amy could see Leonard and Penny.

"Is everything ok between you two?" Amy asked, having already heard what happened the previous day.

"Oh, we're good," Penny said with a mouth full of pizza. She lifted her left and, showing everyone the ring with a smile.

"Congrats!" Amy said.

"It's great that you told Leonard," Bernadette said, making Penny's eyes go with with a warning that Leonard, in fact, did not know.

Leonard looked at Penny. "Told me what?" he asked.

"One sec," Penny said. She put her plate on the coffee table, picking up her purse. She reached inside and pulled out an envelope. She looked back at Leonard, holding it out to him.

Leonard slowly opened the envelope and looked at the folded piece of paper he took out. Taking a breath, he unfolded it, looking at Penny after noticing that it looked like ultrasound scans. "Penny?" he asked. "_We_-" He paused to wait for her nod of confirmation that it was his. "We're having a baby?"

Penny slowly lifted two fingers, her smile widening.

Leonard smiled, taking her hands in his. "Twins?" he asked. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"I didn't know how," Penny said. "And I wasn't even sure if I wanted it." She pointed at the scans in Leonard's hand. "Until I saw them."

"Everyone is doing it," Sheldon said before cutting off the connection, clearly not wanting to hear about babies.

Penny looked at everyone else. "By the way," she started. "Sheldon and Amy had sex."

* * *

**lol love the ending**

**And, yes, I stole the Lenny engagement from the show itself with my own twist**

**I couldn't help it, the pop tart comment!**

**Also, as a heads up, we're almost to the end. Yes, a cliffhanger. I don't even know if I have more than five more chapters to go**

**But you'll like the sequel to this trust me**

**As always, leave some reviews and helpful tips if you have them**

**Keep boosting my ego :) **

**Until next time, my sweets**


End file.
